Arona Silva Interview: Being a Black Man in Spain

If you are wondering what it is like to visit Spain, then keep reading because the truth about Spain will shock you.

Spain is a country located in southern Europe surrounded by France and Portugal. I have heard many different accounts on what living in Spain is like. Some people say it is great while others say it is racist and cold.

If you want to know the truth about life in Spain, then let me introduce you to Arona Silva aka T.O.B.I. who has spent 5 years living in Madrid.

Meet Arona Silva

t-o-b-i-the-best-ever

I met Arona in Africa and he has many great things to say about living in Madrid, the capital city of Spain.

If you want to see a few scenes of Spain, then check out this music video performed by T.O.B.I – Daydreamer ft. Moonarka & WizzG – YouTube:

Q1: Tell me what got you interested in traveling to Spain?

I heard about Spain when I was attending university in France back in 2000. I met John Melassa, CEO of Callejon Music, and he introduced me to Alejandro Millas, the CEO of BubbleWork Recording Studio in Madrid.

Ever since then, I keep in touch with them and we have become best friends. Music is one of my passions and this brought me to Spain.

Q2: What is it like to be a black man in Spain?

Madrid Spain Nightlife
Madrid, Spain Nightlife

There are many Black men living in Spain from countries all over the world. You have Dominicans, Africans, Carribeans, African Americans as well as many Asians.

Being a black man in Spain is just like being black in any other country. As a whole, Spanish people are friendly and kind.

When you arrive in Spain as a black man, many people are curious and want to know where you are from, what language you speak, what food you eat, and most importantly how you like to have fun.

Q3: Is the cost of living in Spain Affordable?

Yes. Like many other developed countries, Spain is made up of many different barrios (towns), but I always go to Madrid because it is the capital. There are a lot of things to do in Madrid such as business as well as leisure activities like recording music.

Madrid has many good universities and lots of big international companies open their headquarters in the capital.

Spain is cheaper than countries like France, England, and Germany. You need around 1,000 euros per month to cover all your expenses including transportation, food, housing, and nightlife.

Q4: Do Spanish women like black men?

Of course. Generally, European women love black men. It depends on your personality and your style. You have to be smart, kind, faithful, and above all hardworking. If you are not shy in Spain, you can have many girlfriends because women are not close minded.

Q5: What business opportunities are available in Madrid?

Madrid, Spain
Madrid, Spain

It depends on your field of work. If you work in the travel and tourism industry, you have a lot of opportunities. As I said in the beginning, Madrid is the capital so you have to be international to be able to handle service and customer demands for a Spanish company.

Learning Spanish is a big advantage in Spain because it is the official language.

You can open a store, travel agency, restaurant, nightclub, or any other brick and mortar business. For investors, you have the ability to purchase equities on the Spanish stock exchange or invest in international trade.

Q6: Is it safe in Spain? What about crime and the Spanish police?

Of course, Spain is very safe. Many countries have to deal with crimes, drugs, rapes, and social unrest. However, Spain is very safe because the police do their job well. They protect the citizens according to the Spanish laws.

It is very important to realize that everyone must follow the rules and live respectfully. Everywhere you go, you got to respect yourself and other people will respect you.

Q7: What advice would you give to someone who wants to visit Spain?

First of all, I would suggest that you contact me to plan your travel itinerary so I can help you enjoy Spain at the cheapest price possible. We can discuss your needs and agree on a Spain travel package that suits your needs.

Q8: Thanks Arona for sharing your experience in Spain with ExpatKings. Anything else you want to say?

Please send any comments or questions to my email: arona.silva@laposte.net.

Check out my music on http://www.numberonemusic.com/tobi and Like my fan page on Facebook @TheMakavelist.

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3 Comments

  1. somebody’s bad experience can’t be universalized ! your experience was just a bad luck ! and i am sure not all the people are racists in spain even if racism is a pathology that affects one person to another manifests with hate, murder discrimination ect…. and no matter the origin or completion.

  2. Sorry, I don’t agree with this at all. I moved with an Golden investor visa with my family from Kenya in 2017, to southern Spain, Malaga. The amount of racism we have faced is atrocious, with my kids being called niggers, monkey’s, ugly, etc. You get the drift. The amount of nasty looks we get from people, quite frankly, is disturbing. I have already moved my kids from one private school to another, because of being abused and bullied for being dark skinned. As for what my wife and I have been subjected to, including being refused to be served at restaurants, that’s a story for another day.