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Happy Tuesday everyone, and welcome to the Cultural Reads Newsletter!
I have some personal news.
Aside from Cultural Reads, I’ve been working at Lendahand for the last 4 years. It’s a crowdfunding platform that offers loans to social impact companies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
In October, I will change to Rabo Carbon Bank to work with Brazilian farmers on planting trees and restoring biodiversity.
If you are interested in these topics, you can reach me on LinkedIn.
So now to the newsletter. This week we have Nigerian Movies, Cameroon, International Books, France & Tunisia
Last week, I spoke to a Nigerian movie critic, Wilfred Okiche.
If you want movie recommendations and learn about Nigeria’s hectic movie history, you’re in for a treat!
Wilfred shared five favorite Nigerian movies, three other African films, and 10 Nigerian artists!
You can find the interview here.
Mongo Beti spent 32 years in self-exile because he disagreed with the post-independence regime and its relationship with former colonizer France.
After retiring, he returned to Cameroon and opened a bookstore in Yaoundé called Librairie des Peuples Noirs (it’s still there, by the way).
His novel, Mission to Kala, tells the story of a college boy returning home after failing his exams. He expects to be in trouble, but the village treats him as a hero because of his educational status.
Mission to Kala is an engaging and easy read but simultaneously explores important themes like cultural tensions in education, tradition, and religion under colonial rule.
I recently came across a Reddit list with international book recommendations.
It’s organized as a Wiki and has plenty of exciting novels per country.
If you enjoy reading, make sure to bookmark this list!
Emel Mathlouthi is a Tunisian singer who rose to fame with her protest song Kelmti Horra (“My Word Is Free”).
This song became the anthem for the Tunisian revolution and Arab spring.
On her second album, she combined electronic and classical music, and during covid, she produced a song with just her voice, an acoustic guitar, and her laptop.
The result is 10 million views on Youtube.
It’s called Holm.
My post, Best Way To Learn Spanish: How To Go From A1 To C2, got 16k+ views on LinkedIn and Reddit.
Would you be interested if I turned the post into a book with grammar, vocabulary, personal anecdotes, tools, and Spanish movie and book tips?
Answer this email to let me know and receive a free chapter of your choice.
I’ve been listening to Olivia Dean’s Live Concert on repeat. She’s an English R&B/Soul singer with a beautiful voice who’s not afraid to show her vulnerability.
Another song I’ve been playing on repeat is Pássaros De Pedra by FIL. Fil is a Portuguese singer I met when visiting a friend in Lisbon. He and his band Bali also have several excellent pop-rock songs.
Magnesium is one of the best supplements for improving sleep and muscle soreness.
Sleep Smarter – Shawn Stevenson
