Is This What African Spanish Sounds Like?!

Summary

The video is an interview between Agustina, an Argentine Spanish teacher and host, and Santiago Eyama, a content creator from Equatorial Guinea who lives in Spain. They discuss Spanish in Equatorial Guinea, the country’s cultural and ethnic diversity, and how Equatoguineans relate to Africa and the wider Spanish-speaking world.

Spanish in Equatorial Guinea

• Santiago says Spanish is spoken throughout Equatorial Guinea and is used in everyday communication, public documents, and street signs. He emphasizes that it is not limited to a small section of the population.
• Spanish coexists with local languages associated with the country’s ethnic groups. Santiago names five main groups, though some names are difficult to make out reliably in the subtitles.
• He describes Equatoguinean Spanish as strongly influenced by Spain, including through expressions such as tío. He also says it incorporates influences from French, English, and Indigenous languages.
• Some regional words are distinctive. Santiago gives chapear for cutting grass and pelucar for getting a haircut, saying these terms are associated with Equatorial Guinea.
• Spanish accents vary within the country. A speaker’s first language or ethnic background can shape their pronunciation. Santiago uses Bubi speakers as an example: their Spanish may sound French-influenced to listeners, though he describes it as a Bubi-influenced accent rather than French.

Ethnicity, identity, and kinship

Santiago describes ethnicity as a community with shared language, customs, and traditions—not as something “primitive.” He compares this with regional and cultural identities in Spain.

Equatoguineans may identify both as citizens of the country and as members of a particular ethnic group. Santiago says ethnic identity remains important because it connects people to languages, customs, and family histories.

In his account of Fang traditions, asking about a person’s ancestral origins can help establish whether they share family ties. He describes this as a way to understand obligations of care and avoid relationships between close relatives.

Santiago suggests that strong family and community obligations can also affect public life. For example, someone may feel pressure to help a relative find work, even if that person is not qualified. He connects this to discussions of favoritism and corruption, while emphasizing that these issues have complex historical and social roots.

History and relations with other countries

• Santiago says Equatorial Guinea became independent from Spain in 1968 and remains relatively little known internationally, including among Spanish speakers.
• He describes Spain’s influence on Equatorial Guinea’s institutions, education, laws, and language. In his view, many people in Equatorial Guinea feel more indifferent toward Spain than strongly resentful or affectionate, though individuals differ.
• He says Spanish television is widely watched in Equatorial Guinea, alongside programming from Latin America. He suggests that Spanish from Spain often feels especially familiar to Equatoguineans.
• When asked which countries feel culturally close, Santiago names neighboring African countries Cameroon and Gabon, as well as Spain as a historical influence.
• He and Agustina discuss how histories across the Spanish-speaking world diverged. Santiago notes closer historical ties with Cuba and Venezuela than with Argentina, while Agustina reflects on the region’s varied experiences.

Belonging and representation

Santiago says Equatorial Guinea is part of Africa first, while also belonging to the Spanish-speaking world. Spanish can make communication with neighboring African countries more difficult, while distance separates Equatorial Guinea from Latin America.

He describes a sense of being caught between communities: Equatoguineans may want stronger connections with other African countries but face language barriers, while feeling connected to Latin America despite the geographical distance.

Agustina observes that Equatorial Guinea is often left out of education and public awareness about the Spanish-speaking world. Santiago agrees that this lack of knowledge can contribute to misconceptions.

Santiago says his online content aims to introduce people to Equatorial Guinea and counter simplified stereotypes about Africa. He encourages people to learn about the continent’s many countries and cultures rather than treating Africa as a single, uniform place.

Personal experiences

• At the time of the interview, Santiago had lived in Spain for about a year and seven months. He had also lived in China for three years.
• He finds adapting to Spain relatively easy compared with adapting to China, citing cultural and everyday similarities.
• He is based in Soria but describes himself as someone who moves around. He says he hopes to return to Equatorial Guinea and visit Latin America.

Speakers and sources featured

• Agustina — Argentine host and Spanish teacher.
• Santiago Eyama — Equatoguinean content creator and interview guest. The subtitles sometimes render his surname as “Eama.”

The conversation also mentions the RAE, Andrés, UNICEF, and several television networks. These are references made by the speakers, not additional speakers in the video.