Author: Debra Devi

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi follows the deep blue current of “cool” from African philosophy into the blues, where character, composure, silence, and generosity become the language of soul.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi decodes the conjure bag, or mojo hand, exploring how root doctors use flannel colors, ingredients, and ritual feeding to cast spells, protect love, bring money, bless babies, and shape fortune in blues-rooted folk magic.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi decodes the “comb,” from its origins as a homemade kazoo to its role in harmonica history and blues slang.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi looks at “Cold in hand” in the blues: stories of money gone and hearts left empty.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi looks at the blues’ favorite word for a fool in love.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi explains how the chitlin’ circuit became both sanctuary and stage for generations of Black musicians during segregation, nurturing early careers from Little Milton to James Brown, B.B. King, and Jimi Hendrix.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi breaks down how the word “chitlins” carries centuries of language shifts, Southern foodways, and blues storytelling.

In the latest installment of Language of the Blues by author and rocker Debra Devi: how a pesky little bug made its way into blues lyrics.

In this installment of Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi uncovers how the Wolof word jigen—once describing a sharp, worldly woman—evolved across continents and centuries into the modern slang chick.

In this installment of The Language of the Blues, author and rocker Debra Devi highlights the checkerboard’s path from African ceremonial power to Chicago’s legendary blues corners.