Mestre Salustiano
- Origin
- Aliança, PE
- Years active
- 1952–2008
- Genres
- maracatu, ciranda, coco, caboclinho, manguebeat, regional music
- Instruments
- rabeca
Biography
Manoel Salustiano Soares, widely known as Mestre Salustiano, was born in Aliança, Pernambuco, and began his working life as a sugarcane cutter in the Pernambuco Zona da Mata. Following in the footsteps of his father, João Salustiano, he started playing the rabeca at just seven years of age, setting the foundation for a lifelong dedication to traditional Brazilian arts.
Over the course of his decades-long career, Mestre Salustiano became one of the greatest authorities on Pernambuco's popular culture and a crucial figure in preserving manifestations such as ciranda, coco, maracatu, and caboclinho. He founded the rural maracatu group Piaba de Ouro and was recognized as a pioneer of the manguebeat movement, serving as a revered mentor to prominent artists like Chico Science, Antônio Nóbrega, and Siba.
In 2007, he was officially honored for his 54-year artistic career and received the prestigious title of Living Patrimony of Pernambuco. Mestre Salustiano passed away in Recife at the age of 62 due to cardiac arrhythmia caused by Chagas disease, leaving behind an indelible legacy in Brazilian traditional music.