In her 2016 song Work, Rihanna appears to be speaking a different language. Was she speaking in Spanish on the song; is it possible the singer is a fluent Spanish speaker?
No, Rihanna does not speak Spanish. The language that she was using in the song Work is actually a form of English known as Jamaican Patois. Other names for this language are Jamaican Creole. Since she is from Barbados, Rihanna speaks a similar dialect, Barbadian Creole also called Bajan.
You can read more about Jamacian Patois, Bajan, and Rihanna’s relation with all of these English dialects.
Jamaican Patois Versus Bajan
In the Caribbean, there are multiple different English-based creole languages spoken among the islands, all having developed to be a bit different from each other. Jamaican Patois is what is known as English-based creole language with West-African influences. Locals of Jamaica may refer to the language as just Patois, Patwa, or Patwah.
In a 2009 paper by Ruby Madden titled The Historical and Cultural Aspects of Jamaican Culture, she states “The language reflects the struggles of slavery and ancestry from Africa as well as the European colonization and influence throughout history on the island of Jamaica.” Patois was developed by the combination of the languages spoken by African slaves brought to Jamaica and the English speaking slavers.
Unlike most other creole-based languages in the Caribbean, Jamaican Patois is actually a written language not just a spoken one. Patois not only pulls from English and West-African languages, but also has influences from Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arawak, and Gaelic.
Bajan, while still an English-based creole language with influence from Africa, does not have all the same influences as Patois. Bajan is also only a spoken language in Barbados and it can be commonly heard throughout the island. The big difference between Bajan and other Caribbean dialects is that it is what is known as a rhotic. This means that the “r” is pronounced strongly in all words.
Rihanna’s Song Work
When Rihanna released her song Work, which featured Canadian rapper Drake, the critical reception was mixed. This was because some uneducated “mainstream” critics had mistaken the use of Jamaican Patois for gibberish. This wasn’t the first time Rihanna had used English-based creole in her music either. The song Rude Boy, which was released in 2010, had lyrics featuring Patois.
Billboard’s Taj Rani seems to have put it best in their review upon the song’s release, stating:
“While mainstream critics may be uncomfortable with Rihanna’s gyrations or misconstrue her patois as gibberish, “Work” — much like Beyonce’s “Formation” — is an example of an unapologetic black woman proudly showing her heritage at a time when our politics are dominated by #BlackLivesMatter and Donald Trump’s racist, xenophobic and misogynistic tirades. Black culture is often only recognized after it’s been appropriated by the mainstream, but Rihanna puts it front and center.”
You can watch the music video for Rhianna’s song Work by following the below YouTube link.
Patois Use in Pop Culture
Patois has been present in other forms of pop culture; a great example of this being film. Probably the most famous example would be its use in the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Patois is used when the character Tia Dalma makes a speech. Another example of Patois being used in film is in the movie Meet Joe Black. Brad Pitt’s character, Joe Black, speaks with a Jamaican woman in the language.
Other famous musicians have used Patois in their music too. It should come as no shock that the famous Jamaican reggae singer, Bob Marley, used Patois in his music. The Jamaican rapper, Sean Paul, has been using Patois in his songs for decades.
So Rhianna does not speak Spanish, nor any language other than English. However, she has proven that she can navigate the multi-faceted dialects of English that come from the Caribbean islands.