Good morning,
And welcome to the Cultural Reads Newsletter with worldwide book, music, and movie recommendations.
In today’s newsletter: Afrobeat(s), Poems, War Movies, Food Delivery, Japanese Manga & Musical Poetry.
“I think you fundamentally misunderstood the difference between Afrobeat and Afrobeats.”
I opened my blog and received this comment from a reader. Although it’s not the nicest message, he was right.
Like most articles on Google, I used the terms Afrobeats and Afrobeat interchangeably, which is wrong.
Here is why.
I sometimes write short poems to process my emotions.Ā
Although I initially felt hesitant to share them because they are personal and probably not that good, I decided to do so anyway.Ā
After readingĀ Rick Rubinās The Creative Act, I realized that art is sharing a human experience through oneās personal lens, hoping others will resonate with it. Itās neither good nor bad; the artistās only responsibility is creating and sharing the art.Ā
So here areĀ three poems.
After theĀ best historical movies, it’s time for theĀ best war movies.
Because Hollywood often romanticizes war, I tried to create a list from different countries, highlighting the various aspects of war.Ā
How much do you know about food and food delivery around the world?
Find out by doing the globalĀ food delivery quiz. I only got 4/9 right.Ā
Despite its popularity, I’ve never been into Manga (Japanese comics).Ā
Recently, I decided to try it because it’s an intriguing art form and a different way of reading.
Several people recommendedĀ Shuna’s JourneyĀ byĀ legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki. Miyazaki is famous for movies like Spirited Away, which I featured in theĀ best Japanese movies.
Do you have any favorite mangas or comics? Let me know!
Sometimes, it takes weeks before you find a song you love. Last week, I came across Aja Monet’s “Why My Love?”Ā and it blew me away.Ā
Aja is a poet but found a fantastic way to combine poetry and music, turning it into a jazzy, soulful, and R&B-like sound.Ā
