Well I went to see Ryan Coogler new film, Sinners, where he goes deep into the Blues and as a Black disabled scholar especially in Black music and also the founder of Krip-Hop Nation, I was sadly disappointed, to see not one blind Blues characters although one main theme was suppose to be the Blues. This is not the first time I have seen movies and read books about Blues music and disability doesn’t come up! What the hell is this bs, Black respectability politics?! Same story, different decade because it keeps on happening! Another reason why Krip-Hop Nation is here…

Although the movie’s major theme is the Blues, Coogler never brought up blind and disabled Blues musicians who many were rejected from the Black church and the story of Josh White Sr. who led Blind Blues artists throughout the South, back in the day was not mentioned in the movie. Through interviews with Coogler, he mentioned that the movie is based on Robert Johnson’s 1938 song, The Blues Man & The Devil and also in interviews Ryan Coogler talked about that song and he said through his research Robert Johnson was not talking about the devil but a man named Papa Legba who had a disability that was not in the movie either!

Come to find out that Baba Legba, also known as Papa Legba, was a prominent figure in African-diasporic religions like Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo. He’s revered as the guardian of the crossroads, gates, and doors, and was considered the first spirit to be invoked in Vodou practices. Legba is a powerful spirit associated with communication, access, and the bridge between the human and spirit worlds.

I found out that Papa Legba had a disability. Read on…

Some depictions of Papa Legba show him with impairments like walking with a cane or crutches and his role as a bridge between the human and spirit world is often emphasized, according to Galeand l. In West African and Afro-Caribbean traditions, Papa Legba and Babalú-Ayé are distinct deities with different roles and associations. Papa Legba, often depicted as an old man with a limp, is the guardian of the crossroads and the bridge between the living and the spirit world, invoking him is essential for communication with other spirits. Babalú-Ayé, meanwhile, is the spirit of the Earth and a powerful healer, associated with illness and disease, but also with the cure.

Once again however in the movie, Papa Legba and none of the well known blind Black Blues artists were never mentioned! Why is that and this is not the first time disability has been left out when the subject is the Blues. I wonder why this keeps on happening? On top of this, it’s widely known that Ryan Coogler is a successful filmmaker, it’s also true that he has a speech impediment, specifically, he stutters. This is a disability that impacts his communication. He has spoken openly about his stuttering and has even been praised for the positive impact he has made on others who struggle with similar conditions….Is this another missed opportunity to bring Black music in a Black film with a disability frame?

Listen to my remake of Robert Johnson’s 1938 song, The Blues Man & The Devil here.