His mother, Irene Bertoli was an outstanding painter and (as Roberto says) a great listener for those times when he would sit in the kitchen playing the same song over and over.
Roberto’s father, Endo Montero, an accomplished and respected musician in Brazil, taught Roberto his most important music lesson:
Play it with your heart.
“There were always musicians coming in and out of our house,” says Roberto. “I would watch and listen.”
Even though Roberto was surrounded by traditional Brazilian, jazz, and classical music, oddly enough, it was the rock band AC/DC and their album “Back in Black” that gave him the passion to seriously dedicate himself to the guitar at the age of fifteen. Joining his brother
Endo Luiz Montero, the band “Voodoo” became his first rock group. “I learned everything by ear,” Roberto remembers, “It was a magical time.”
Roberto then came back to his roots incorporating Brazilian music and jazz, as he found, again, that his heart told him the music he must play.
While working and performing in Brazil for the next few years, Roberto was responsible for over 100 radio and television jingles as a studio composer, arranger and performer.
“I even arranged the music for a senatorial campaign - and the candidate was elected!” he laughs.
Coming to United States he graduated at The Los Angeles Music Academy where he studied with guitar visionary Frank Gambale, Bill Fowler, Jean-Marc Belkadi, Linda Taylor, Joe Basu and Jeff Richman.
Roberto then landed an audition for Sergio Mendes’ Brazil 2001 and performed as a member of his group from the Blue Note in Tokyo, Japan to the Moroccan Royal House in Morocco and across the United States. His U.S. concerts include the Radisson Concert Hall in Phoenix, Arizona, the Atlanta Summer Concert in Atlanta, Georgia, the Sun Theater in Anaheim, California and the Union Station Foundation Concert Series in Pasadena, California.
He has also performed with Latin Grammy nominated Brazilian pop star Baby Consuelo (Baby Do Brasil) and with four-time Grammy nominated European MTV Award’s Best Italian Artist, Tiziano Ferro.
Has been recording and performing for 7 years now, with talented singer/songwriter Dorian Holley (vocal director for Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” tour and vocal coach for “American Idol”).
Other performances and/or recording credits include:
In United States: Montero & Novelli Duo with drummer/percussionist Cristiano Novelli, Dawn Bishop, Gary Taylor, Bill Fowler, Arnold McCuller, John Pisano, Lynne Fiddmont, Giovanna Gattuso, Sergio Vigilato, Philip Bynoe, Jose Marino, Leo Nobre, Rique Pantoja, Munyungo Jackson, Cathy Segal-Garcia, Michael Harris, Octavio Bailey, Frank Zottoli, Enzo Todesco, Joanna St. Clair, Mike Shapiro,Judith Hill, Leo Costa, Robert Kyle, Andy Egbe, Cheryl Carter.
In Brazil (your friendship and those amazing moments are always in my heart): Louise Lucena, Peninha, Arnou De Mello, Camarao (“Marcio”), Mauricio Jorge Simas (“Escova”), Leandro Amaral (GTR studios), Ricardo Dettmer, Saulo Sousa De Oliveira, Cezinha (“Geddy Lee”), Valtinho, Alexandre (“Luquinhas”), Toninho, Sergio Pasetti, Fernando (Baixista), Dalton Xavier (Daltinho), Magrao, Rubens Azevedo, Evandro, Picole, Giovani Rocha, Fabio, Mario (guitar).
He made a TV appearance as the solo guitarist for the wedding ceremony on “For Better or For Worse”, a TLC/Discovery television series and he also appears in a PSA for the Cancer Detection Program.
Roberto has been working at The Los Angeles Music Academy for over 10 years now, where he teaches guitar, Brazilian music and chart writing.
Roberto is honored to have been chosen as a Yamaha endorsed musician and uses Whirlwind connectors, Rocktron guitar equipment and Egnater Amps.
(Thanks for reading!!)