Raw Delta blues from the Mississippi Delta, recorded around Thanksgiving 1935.
Where other blues women of the era used innuendo and metaphor, Mahjamba abandoned all pretense entirely. This recording was so explicit that it was immediately suppressed, deemed too dangerous for distribution even in the underground “party record” circuit that thrived during the Depression era.
The name “Mahjamba” itself is likely a stage name, and her true identity has been lost to time. What cannot be disputed is the raw power of her voice and the unflinching honesty of her lyrics. Mahjamba sang about desire, power, and survival with a directness that still shocks modern listeners.
This master recording surfaced in 2024 in an estate sale in Memphis, Tennessee, still marked “DO NOT RELEASE” in faded pencil.
Listen now: https://peanutbutterpalace.bandcamp.com/track/thanksgiving-night
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