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In the spirit of the festive season, Jersey’s own pop-folk band, the Badlabecques, is gifting islanders a Jèrriais twist on the classic hit, 'Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas'.
Written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane, 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas' was first sang by Judy Garland in 1944, in the 'Meet Me in St. Louis' musical.
Since then, it has been covered dozen of times including by Frank Sinatra but never in Jèrriais. With the help of Jérriais specialist, Geraint Jennings, Badlabecques was able to remedy this and record the song in Jersey's native language, transforming it into: 'Ayiz Eune Jouaiyeuse Et Bouonne Fête Dé Noué'.
The lyrics:
Ayiz eune jouaiyeuse et bouonne Fête dé Noué
rêjouiss'-ous tréjous
d'chu moment
toutes nos gênes s'sont bein liain dé nous.
Ayiz eune jouaiyeuse et bouonne Fête dé Noué
qu'la saîson r'sait dgaie
d'chu moment
toutes nos gênes s'sont bein hortes la vaie.
Et nos r'v'chîn coumme au temps passé
janmais lâssés d'êt' ensembl'ye
coumme les anmîns bein près d'nos tchoeurs
et bein heutheurs lus rassembl'yent.
Châque année j'nos rassembliéthons tréjous
s'lon lé d'si dé Dgieu.
M'ttez euneêtaile sus l'arb' coumme ou lit ès cieux
et ayiz eune bein jouaiyeuse Fête dé Noué achteu.
After releasing their second album, ‘Cocolîncheux!’, in autumn 2017, Badlabecques spent this year promoting it during 2018 with a number of gigs across Jersey.
Lead singer and founder Kit Ashton has also been busy completing the rest of his PhD fieldwork, for his research looking at how music can help save endangered languages like Jèrriais.
The band has now taken a well deserved break, whilst Kit writes up his thesis, but promised to be back in Spring 2019.
If you want to hear more Christmas songs in Jérriais, check out Badlabecques Christmas album on their website.
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