Islander Kit Ashton, the singer and founder of Badlabeques, has been invited to the University of Osaka on Saturday to present a lecture called ‘Precious Echos: Revitalising Language Identity in Jersey through International Ceremonial Performance’.
Mr Ashton completed a masters degree in music at Goldsmiths College University of London this year for which he researched how music can help threatened languages like Jèrriais survive.
The college has now asked him to share his findings with a group of leading international academics at the conference.
Mr Ashton said: ‘It’s been my privilege to lead Badlabecques and be an advocate for Jèrriais these last few years, even though I’m still just learning the language myself.
‘So I was really proud to get this invitation to Osaka. Jersey is so lucky to have such a special language of its own, which is a major asset to our culture.
Mr Ashton’s lecture will focus on a section of his thesis about Badlabecques’ performance at the opening ceremony of the Island Games in June this year.
- The Badlabecques means The Chatterboxes in Jèrriais.
- The pop folk band was formed by Kit Ashton, who had been based in Brighton since 2004, working as a musician and touring with the likes of soul-diva Carleen Andersen and Mercury-award nominated Thomas White (Electric Soft Parade, Brakes).
- Kit was commissioned by LOffice du Jèrriais to set a few Jèrriais songs to more contemporary arrangements, in order to help teach Jèrriais in schools, and the band evolved from there
- Their first official gig was at Folklore Festival in Peoples Park on 1 July 2012.
- Speaking at the time the band launched, Kit said that Jèrriais was one of Jerseys treasures and that it was too often overlooked ‘Even though my Gran, who lived in St Ouen, only spoke French and Jèrriais until she started school, I never really learned any Jèrriais myself until recently,’ he said. ‘That was when I became interested in the folk songs and rich literary heritage that Jersey has going back to Wace in the 1100s.’
- The band’s line-up is: Kit Ashton (lead and backing vocals, guitar, banjolin, feet), Martin Coxshall ( backing vocals, piano, accordion), Louisa Coxshall (tambourine, shaker, hand claps), Scott Kean (bass), Deputy Montfort Tadier (accordion), Vanessa Moore (violin), Paul Olivier (congas), cajón, djembe, claves, guiro, wood blocks, tambourine, shaker, tone bells, hand claps), Johnny Pearse (drums) and Kim Syvret (backing vocals).
- Additional musicians who play with the band include: Giles Robson (harmonica), Geraint Jennings (spoken word, bachîn), Doug Ford (wooden whistle, westwards ship bell) and Victoria Rebours (backing vocals)
