Mestre Cobra Mansa

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Cinézio Feliciano Peçanha (born 1960 in Duque de Caxias , Rio de Janeiro suburb, Brazil) Mestre Cobra Mansa, more commonly known as Cobrinha,Cobrinha Mansa , is a mestre or master of Capoeira Angola. He is one of the founders and the guiding light of an organization known either as FICA (in Brazil, which is an acronym for Fundacao International de Capoeira de Angola) or ICAF (in English, which stands for the International Capoeira Angola Foundation, which is literally the translation for the words which make up the acronym FICA). The word "fica" in Portuguese means "you stay" (second person declaritive) which isn't necessarily significant, but because it has a meaning it is slightly more catchy in Portuguese than ICAF is in English. FICA/ICAF is the largest Capoeira Angola organization in the world, consisting of many local affiliates, chapters, and training centers incorporated as not-for-profits in the United States which charge nominal annual membership fees, as well as having locations in many other countries.

Mestre Coba Mansa is well known in the world of Capoeira. He started capoeira in 1973 with Mestre Josias da Silva and Raimundo in Duque de Caxias him played capoeira in The Duque Caxias Streets Rodas and was one of the Founder of the Caxias street Roda with Mestre Rogerio Russo and Peixinho de Caxias he in 1974 became a student of Mestre Moraes afte him see Mestre Moraes play on the Roda of Central do Brazil . Prior to his life becoming dedicated to Capoeira Angola he has worked in photoghapy ,stree vendor Circus ( Circo Picolino),he went to Belo horizonte in 1979 and he was a police officer in Belo horizonte were him pass for 2 years, in 1981 he went to salvador and started the GCAP Salvador with Mestre Moraes

[edit] History

At some point in the past Mestres Cobrinha and Moraes had a philosophical difference of opinion about the direction of the school where they were both authority figures, the Grupo Capoeira Angola Pelorinho or GCAP. The result of this was the departure of Mestre Cobrinha and some other members of GCAP and the creation of FICA.

Cobrinha had moved to the United States and opened a school in Washington DC around 1994 which was solely dedicated to Capoeira Angola and where he lived and taught initially on invitation from the Aussar Auset Socity , then later as an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University, and then eventually as President of the newly formed FICA. In 2004 he left the United States to make his home in and create the Kilombo Tenonde (www.kilombotenonde.com )one space for capoeira and Permcultura (organic farm) in Valenca South of Bahia and a Cultural center in Coutos suburbus of Salvador his style=== Mestre Cobrinha is well known as a mestre of Capoeira Angola. He is well-respected for his deep knowledge of the historical and cultural underpinnings of Capoeira Angola, as well as for his dynamic and aggressive style of play in the roda.

He recently completed a journey to the west-central region of Africa to search for the African roots of Capoeira. He spent time Angola e Mocabique learning about the "N'golo(Zebra dance)" and other local African cultural traditions that have been attributed in the past as contributing to the development of Capoeira.

Cobra Mansa means tame snake, and Cobrinha means little cobra. These nicknames are apt descriptions of his graceful and deceptive style of play.

[edit] Lineage

• The "lineage" of capoeira angola mestres under Mestre Pastinha