Welcome to Eleda
This site is owned by Obá Oriaté Miguel “Willie” Ramos, Ilarí Obá, Oní Shangó Lukumí.
Obá Miguel “Willie” Ramos, Ilarí Obá was born in Havana, Cuba. He came to New York as a young boy, residing in Brooklyn where he was raised. Ordained into the Lukumí priesthood as a young teenager, he has been an oriaté for over forty years. Additionally, Obá Ramos is a student of Lukumí/Yoruba religion in Brazil, Cuba, and the Cuban diaspora. He holds a PhD in History from Florida International University, where he taught courses on Anthropology, Sociology, and History. For over forty years, Obá Ramos has conducted fieldwork on Orisha religion, primarily in Cuba, The United States, and Brazil.
Obá Ramos’s publications have been widely hailed by Orisha devotees. His books include Orí Eledá Mí Ó: If my Head Does Not Sell Me (in Spanish and English), Adimú: Gbogbó Tén’unjé Lukumí (2012), Obí Agbón—Lukumí Divination with Coconut (2012), the celebrated On the Orishas’ Roads and Pathways series relating fundamental data about Oshún, Yemojá, and Obatalá, of interest to devotees and scholars as well. Obá Ramos continues to engage the reader with meaningful discourse and themes that are of great significance to Orisha devotees as this culture continues to experience its transition onto the stage of world faiths. Recently, he has created a YouTube channel that promises to be innovative and of great significance to the Lukumí community, and to Orisha-dom in general.
No unauthorized reproduction or storage. All quotes or photos originating from this website must be accompanied with the appropriate citation and source URL.
Our Product Designer Julian Marin for designing our actual website
This site was originally created and designed with the indispensable help of Babalorisha Clay Keck, Afolabí, Oní Yemojá, to whom I am greatly indebted.
Alaje Thomas, Fadesiyé, Oní Yemojá was instrumental in maintaining the content. I am also extremely greatful to my goddaughter Gloria Olegario, Ainá, for her work on the new logo. She always pulls through!
I would also like to appreciate the extremely valuable contribution of Ricardo Ferreira do Amaral, Brazilian devotee of Airá, who has helped with the translation of many of the website’s articles into Portuguese. The late Antón Vélez Bichkov, Odúafunmí, helped with translations into Spanish, and my goddaughter, Migdalia Cruz Rivera, Olú’dé, revised and edited some of the essays. To these friends and godchildren, I say modupé ‘dupé ó!
I also thank Tami Jo Urban, Omi Lana, for creating and designing our old website.
