Bàbálórìṣà Adéṣínà Síkírù Sàlámì - Bàbá King, Ph.D., is a Yoruba and a member of a family with a rich spiritual history of priests and priestesses belonging to the royal Kenta family in Abéòkúta, the capital of Ogun State in Nigeria.
He holds several pre-eminent hierarchical positions in Nigeria, including the titles of Bàbá Egbé of the society of bàbáláwo in Abéòkúta and Bàbá Ìṣẹ̀ṣè Ẹ̀gbà within the International Council for Ifá Religion in the Ẹ̀gbà District.
Bàbálórìṣà Bàbá King is a founder and spiritual leader of three active Òrìṣà temples on three continents. The temples’ core focus is on the Yoruba religious practices, the transmission of authentic Yoruba knowledge, and the provision of services for the community of Òrìṣà worshippers.
For almost four decades, professor Sàlámì has been dedicating most of his time to scientific research, in-depth study, and teaching of the traditional Yoruba culture and religion on an international level. As a university professor and a prominent academic, he authored several reference books on the Yoruba, paying special attention to the translation of different genres of sacred Yoruba orality.
In 2022, the Oduduwa Europe Publishing House intends to publish professor Bàbá King’s book “Erindilogun: the Voices of the Òrìṣà” – perhaps the most important publication on the divination with 16 cowries since the pioneering work of William Bascom in 1985.
As a communicator and elucidator of Ifá wisdom and knowledge, Sàlámì's contribution to the preservation and transmission of the traditional Yoruba knowledge and wisdom is pivotal, bringing the topic closer to Òrìṣà priests, priestesses, and devotees as well as the broader academic and non-academic readership.