Origin of Mojo

“Mojo” is magic, magical ability, and the power to get things done. “Mojo” first appeared in the 1920s in the southern United States from the Gullah word “moco” (magic), Gullah being Creole spoken by some groups of African-Americans. The ultimate root of “mojo” was the word “moco’o,” which means “shaman or medicine man” in the African language Fulani. “Mojo” spread first into mainstream Black English and then general usage primarily through the popularity of jazz and blues music. Muddy Waters got his ‘Mojo working’ and Jim Morrison of The Doors called for the Mojo Risin’. Continue reading “Origin of Mojo”