Baba Raúl Cañizares

Baba Raul Canizares (died 28 December 2002) was an Oba, a Santerian priest, an author, an artist, a musician and a professor of religion who founded the Orisha Consciousness Movement.

Lineage

Canizares was born in Cuba, where he was initiated into the mysteries of Obatala Oba Moro at age seven in the lineage of the legendary visionary priestess Yamaya Ferminita Gomez Oshabi. He was a blood descendant of Oyo royalty on his mother's side and European nobility on his father's. While still a small child in Cuba, he was also initiated into the tradition of Palo Monte by Demetrio Gomez Camposanto Medianoche.

Orisha Consciousness Movement

Under the guidance of his head orisha Obatala Oba Moro and the spirit guide known as Lord Jagga, Canizares established the Orisha Consciousness Movement (originally called the Ashram-Ilé Oba Moro) in New York City on March 24th, 1995. The Movement received official recognition as a religious corporation on August 14th, 1998. Since 1995, O.C.M. has grown into an international body with members from all parts of the world. The organization continues under the direction of Canizares' spiritual successor, Narayan Ramos, and continues to be based in New York City.

Academic background

Canizares earned an Associate Degree in Liberal Arts from Hillsboruough Community College in Tampa, Florida. He held a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religious Studies, and a Masters in Religion, all from the University of South Florida, where he served as adjunct professor until 1994. While at U.S.F. he designed the first full-credit course on Santeria ever offered at an American university. Canizares has lectured and performed at the Starwood Festival in 2001 and 2002 (presenting their first public Santeria rituals by an actual Oba and author in the field), as well as the New York Open Center, the Afro-Caribbean Cultural Center and the Learning Annex in New York City. He has taught at academic institutions throughout the country, including The American Academy of Religion, UCLA and Colby College, .

Published works

Canizares authored over a dozen books, including "Cuban Santeria: Walking With the Night", "The Life and Works of Marie LaVeau" and "The Book on Palo". He published several more practical volumes under the name Robert Laremy including "The Psalm Workbook" and "Spiritual Cleansing". His scholarly work has appeared in numerous journals, including A Journal of Alternative Religions, Journal of Dharma (India), Caribbean Quarterly (Jamaica) and Ethnic Studies Reports (Sri Lanka). Canizares won the prestigious Enrique Jose Varona literary prize in multiple categories: poetry, essay and short fiction.

Art and music

Canizares’ work has been exhibited in the Cavin-Morris Gallery (a leading venue for Afro-Caribbean folk art in New York City), the Folk Art Museum in Baltimore, and three different one-man shows at Clayton’s Gallery. In El Espectador (Puerto Rico), art critic Luis Perez described Baba’s works as “some of the most important sculptures of the latter part of the twentieth century.” He produced three collections of spiritual music: "Sacred Sounds of Santeria", "Rhythms of the Goddess" and "Cuban Trance".

Partial Bibliography

* 1999 - "Cuban Santeria: Walking With the Night" (Ten Speed; Updated edition) ISBN 0-89281-762-3
* 2000 - "Shango : Santeria and the Orisha of Thunder"(Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-60-9
* 2000 - "Obatala: Santeria and the White Robed King of the Orisha" (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-63-3
* 2001 - "The Life and Works of Marie LaVeau" (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-71-4
* 2001 - "Eshu-Eleggua Elegbara: Santeria and the Orisha of the Crossroads" (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-61-7
* 2001 - "The Psalm Workbook" (under the name Robert Laremy) (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-68-4
* 2001 - "Spiritual Cleansing" (under the name Robert Laremy) (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-72-2
* 2002 - "The Book on Palo" (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-66-8
* 2002 - "Oshún: Santería and Orisha of Love, Rivers & Sensuality" (Original Publications) ISBN 0-942272-69-2

Discography

* 2004 - "Sacred Sounds of Santeria: Rhythms of the Orishas" - Music CD (Destiny Recordings; Abridged edition) ISBN 1-59477-002-6
* "Sacred Sounds of Santeria: Rhythms of the Orishas" (Destiny Recordings) ISBN 0-89281-407-1 (Cassette)
* 2005 - Sacred Sounds of the Female Orishas: Rhythms of the Goddess (Destiny Recordings) - Music CD ISBN 1-59477-071-9
* "Cuban Trance" - Music CD