Alessandra Nahra / Leonardo Vinhas / Sabrina Gledhill
Librería Samer Atenea
Kálamo Books
Librería Elías (Asturias)
Librería Kolima (Madrid)
Librería Proteo (Málaga)
Dance of the Serpent: Portrait of Cobra Mansa, a Capoeira Angola Mestre is the definitive biography of one of the 20th and 21st centuries’ most influential figures in the Afro-Brazilian martial art/dance capoeira. The book traces the astonishing journey of a man who rose from the poverty-stricken streets of a Rio de Janeiro suburb to become a global master, transforming a martial art into a way of life, and dedicating his later career to environmental and social justice.Mestre Cobra Mansa’s life is a profound testament to the power of Capoeira Angola as a tool for personal and communal liberation. Born in the deprived suburb of Duque de Caxias, he initially found refuge and strength in the practice, mastering the deceptive, strategic movements of the jogo (the game). He quickly ascended through the ranks of GCAP (Grupo de Capoeira Angola Pelourinho), the organization founded by his mentor, Mestre Moraes.The book details how, as a young man, Cobra Mansa became instrumental in establishing Capoeira Angola in the United States and worldwide. He has spent decades traveling, ensuring the art-a living link to the history of the Forced African Diaspora-retained its cultural authenticity and philosophical depth, always emphasizing that capoeira is more than a practice; it is a dynamic way of existing in the world.The biography also examines the Mestre’s late-career evolution into a pioneer of social activism. After his worldwide teaching career, Cobra Mansa returned to Brazil to found Kilombo Tenondé, an Afro-Brazilian center dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of Yoruba, Bantu, and Indigenous people while practicing permaculture and sustainable farming. His current mission is the preservation of ancestral wisdom and the construction of autonomous, thriving communities. 6
