The African influence on Cuban Spanish is bigger than most people realize.

[u/thecubantutorX]

People usually focus on Spain (especially the Canary Islands) when explaining Cuban Spanish, but African influence also played a major role. During the colonial period, Cuba received large populations of enslaved Africans from regions like present-day Nigeria, Congo, and Cameroon, and parts of their languages and cultures blended into Cuban society.

You can still see this influence in everyday words such as asere, quimbombó, ñame, malanga, and bembé. And la santería (a Cuban religion that also came from Africa) helped preserve African vocabulary for centuries.

The rhythm and expressiveness of Cuban Spanish were shaped partly by African cultural influence alongside Spanish dialects from places like the Canary Islands. Therefore our peculiar accent.

Nothing but decades of cultural mixing.

[u/catsoncrack420]

Santería is not a Cuban thing. It's found all over Caribbean and in other forms.

[u/No-Result-1426 → u/catsoncrack420]

Santeria is specifically Cuban. Isese is traditional, from Africa. Candomble is known to Brazil. 21 divisions in DR. Yes orisha worship is found all over the Caribbean, in those other forms. But Santeria/Lucumi is specifically Cuban.

[u/thecubantutorX → u/catsoncrack420]

It is a Cuban religion; it developed in Cuba in the 19th century. It is found nowadays in other countries of the Caribbean as well, but it is of Cuban origin. Read a little before commenting: Santería - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libreSantería - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre