Cultural Reads 19: Argentine Music, Filipino Elections & Barcelona Book Cemetery

Happy Tuesday all,

And welcome to the 19th issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter! A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world.

Apologies for the incorrect link last week. Here is the right one for the World Map of Dreams.

In this week’s newsletter: Argentina, The Philippines & Spain. The picture below is from the Malian couple Amadou & Mariam’s concert.

📩 The Sample

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If you like the issue, you have the option to “Subscribe in 1 Click” within the email.

It has everything from tech to culture and is an effortless way to discover new things. Try it out here.

🎺 Onda Vaga (Argentina)

We have another South-American treat this week.

Onda Vaga is an alternative rock band with a blend of rumba, cumbia, reggae, tango, and folk-rock. The group has a unique and cheerful sound!

My favorite songs are Tataralí and Parque.

🎥 The Kingmaker (The Philippines)

Imelda Marcos was the Philippines’ first lady in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. She became famous because of her enormous shoe collection (~3,000 pairs) and unimaginable wealth.

It turns out that Imelda accumulated most of this money during her stay in the presidential palace, amassing a fortune worth 10 billion dollars.

Why is this relevant?

Because her son Bongbong is currently running for president and competing with famous boxer Manny Pacquiao and vice-president Leni Robredo (also featured in the documentary).

You can find The Kingmaker on Amazon Prime.

📙 Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain)

It’s 1945, Barcelona is recovering from the war, and Daniel – the son of a bookmaker – is on his way to a book cemetery. His dad is taking him to choose a novel from a forgotten author.

Unknowingly, he picks a mysterious book that various people are after. When, one night, he sees someone staring at him from outside his bedroom window, Daniel realizes that his life will never be the same.

Shadow of the Wind is an epic story full of dark secrets, madness, and doomed love.

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