I’m not into tonal African languages much, but this definitely sounds like one.

It sounded to me like some sort of French Creole.

I hear a lot of French sounding cadence along with a lot of African style cadence. Is it Sango?

There are some similarities with what little I’ve discovered about the Central Narrow Bantu languages – perhaps a language from the Zigula-Zaramo, Bena-Kinga, Rwanda-Rundi groups?

It sounds very much like Twi or possibly another closely related language in Ghana or perhaps Ivory Coast. The /fr/ and /br/ clusters are very typical of languages in this area and as far as I know are rare in other African languages.

Also the /nji/ and /fja/; I also hear /z/ and a voiced bilabial fricative which as far as I know don’t occur in Twi. Perhaps Ewe from Togo or a neighbouring language of Benin? In any case, I’m certain this language comes from the general area.

I’m with Drabkikker. I also think I hear a lot of reduplication, but that doesn’t help me any.

I agree, it’s definitely a tonal African language. No idea which one though, except it’s most definitely not one of the Bantu languages in the south.

I wonder if it’s a two-tiered tone system? On the surface there’s mostly high and low, some rising, and extremely few falling. Not sure if there is a separate mid tone. Sometimes it does seem like there is an extra-high tone, though.

The answer is Ewe (Eʋegbe), which is spoken in Ghana, Togo and Benin.

The recording comes from YouTube.

I’d love to hear ewe in the context of a typical radio broadcast…. Such a beautiful tonal language. :)

d.m.f.

For d.m.falk:
I love Ewe language too :)