Barbadosed redirects here.

Redlegs is a term used to refer to the class of poor whites that live on Barbados, St. Vincent, Grenada and a few other Caribbean islands. Their forebears came from Ireland, Scotland and the West of England.^[1] Many of their ancestors were transported by Oliver Cromwell.^[2] Others had originally arrived on Barbados in the early to mid 17th century as slaves or indentured servants. Small groups of Germans and Portuguese were also imported as plantation labourers. Many were described as "white slaves". According to folk etymology, the name is derived from the effects of the tropical sun on their fair-skinned legs. However, the term "Redlegs" and its variants were in use for Irish soldiers of the same sort as those later transported to Barbados, and the variant "Red-shankes" is recorded by Edmund Spenser in his dialogue on "the Present State of Ireland" as early as the 16th century.

By the 18th century, white slavery became much less common. African slaves were trained in all needed trades, so there was no demand for paid white labour. The Redlegs, in turn, were unwilling to work alongside the freed slave population on the plantations. Therefore, most of the white population that chose to stay eked out, at best, a subsistence living. Because of the deplorable conditions under which the Redlegs lived, a campaign was initiated in the mid-19th century to move portions of the population to other islands which would be more economically hospitable. The relocation process succeeded, and a distinct community of Redleg descendants live in the Dorsetshire Hill district on St. Vincent as well as on the islands of Grenada and Bequia.

In addition to Redlegs the term underwent extensive progression in Barbados and the following terms were also used: "Redshanks", "Poor whites", "Poor Backra", "Backra Johnny", "Ecky-Becky", "Poor whites from below the hill", "Edey white mice" or "Beck-e Neck" (Baked-neck). Historically everything besides "poor whites" were used as derogatory insults, and the community was perceived as arrogant, alcoholic, and worthless. However though most live on a par with Blacks individuals born in the community have been known to accumulate land or start successful businesses.^[3]

See also[link]

• History of South Carolina

References[link]

External links[link]

• 1957 article on Redlegs
• The Sunday Times - "Poor Scots who became white trash"
• Tangled Roots - "'Barbadosed' - Africans and Irish in Barbados"
• The Multiracial Activist - "Barbados and the Melungeons of Appalachia"

Jeanne Cherhal
Jeanne Cherhal in concert in Paris (2007).
Background information
Birth name	Jeanne Cherhal
Born	(1978-02-28) 28 February 1978 (age 34) Nantes, France
Genres	Chanson
Occupations	French singer-songwriter actress
Instruments	Piano, Guitar
Years active	2002 – present
Labels	CBS Records Tôt ou tard
Website	jeanne-cherhal.com (French)

Jeanne Cherhal (born 28 February 1978 in Nantes) is a French singer-songwriter.

Biography[link]

After spending her younger years in Erbray near Châteaubriant, Cherhal studied philosophy before moving to Paris. She started her singing career playing piano – solo, or accompanied by her guitarist Éric Löhrer in small concert venues. At the time she sported long, plaîtted hair. After a six-title CD (edited by Madame Suzie), she released an album entitled "Jeanne Cherhal" with the independent label Tôt ou tard.

Little by little, her renown increased. At the beginning she sang Georges Moustaki, Jacques Higelin, Thomas Fersen and Emir Kusturica; she was invited on by the group les Têtes Raides, sang as a double act with Vincent Delerm and sometimes as a trio with d'Albin de La Simone. She also performed in a series of concerts with Matthieu Bouchet, which culminated in the production of the CD-booklet [en même temps...] (produced in a limited edition of 1500 copies).

Cherhal's second album Douze fois par an (Twelve times a year), released in 2004; was a huge success. Along with this she received not only recognition from the music world, but also from a large and ever-increasing fan base.

Towards the end of 2005, she performed in the French version of "The Vagina Monologues"

In 2006 her third album, L'eau (Water), produced by Albin de la Simone. Musically speaking, it was much more polished and the themes contained at the same time more personal and more involved. This album would enable her once more to tour in France and abroad, performing in Belgium and Switzerland; in Berlin, London, Dublin and Beirut; in Canada, Congo, Central African Republic, in Gabon and in Angola.

In February 2008, inspired by "the famous text message", she placed a previously unheard track on her MySpace page: "Si tu reviens, j'annule tout"... (If you come back, I'll cancel everything...)

2008 would also mark Jeanne's first steps in the world of cinema as she would play the main rôle in two short films:

– La consultation (the consultation): directed by Frédérik Vin in the framework of the French television channel Canal+'s campaign "Ecrire pour un chanteur" (Write for a singer)

– La copie de Coralie (Coralie's Copy): directed by Nicolas Hengel, nominated at the Cannes Film Festival

Discography[link]

• Jeanne Cherhal (cd 6 tracks, Madame Suzie)
• Jeanne Cherhal (2002, Tôt ou tard))
• en même temps... (Jeanne Cherhal & Matthieu Bouchet) (2002, Madame Suzie)
• Douze fois par an (2004, Tôt ou tard))
• L'Eau (2006, Tôt ou tard)
• Charade (2010)

Awards[link]

• 2004: Grand Prix du Disque de L'Académie Charles Cros for "Douze fois par an"
• 2005: Revelation of the year at the Victoires de la Musique

External links[link]

• Official website
• Jeanne Cherhal on MySpace
• Photos of Jeanne Cherhal in concert by Pierre-jean G.