Cultural Reads 36: India’s Expensive Blockbuster, Argentina’s Best Singer & Music Advent Calendar

Happy Tuesday All,

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

For previous newsletter editions, check out the archive.

In this week’s newsletter: India, Kenya, Colombia, Argentina, Cultural Differences & Music Advent Calendar

🍿 RRR (India)

The most expensive film in the history of Indian cinema is now on Netflix.

Get ready for 3-hours of over-the-top fights, drama, special effects, and dance intermezzos.

RRR is an incredibly entertaining movie about two legendary revolutionaries on their mission to fight against the British empire.

It’s not a Bollywood but Tollywood movie, however. Bollywood movies are in Hindi, whereas RRR’s primary language is Telugu, a language from West India with 83 million native speakers.

Thanks to Recomendo for the tip.

📕 I Dreamed of Africa (Italy/Kenya)

Kuki Gallman moved to Kenya in the 1970s.

Kenya was still full of nature, which meant that Gallman had lions, giraffes, and elephants in her garden drinking from her pool.

I dreamed of Africa is an ode to Kenya’s beauty.

It’s also a story about loss and loneliness after losing family members,  with the nearest neighbor being a flight away.

You can find it on Amazon.

🎄 December Advent Calendar

Are you looking for new music?

Give yourself a free early Christmas gift.

This advent calendar offers one new album per day.

🎨 Cool & Affordable Art From Colombia

Last month, I bought a painting from a young Colombian artist, María Fernanda.

Her paintings are small universes filled with colorful faces.

If you’re curious, check out her website or Instagram.

🎵 Mercedes Sosa (Argentina)

In the 70s and 80s, a new music genre started in Latin America, the Nueva Canción.

This music had a social role and promoted democracy in Portugal, Spain, and Latin America.

In Argentina, the most prominent singer in this movement was Mercedes Sosa.

Because of the political messages, Sosa received death threats, went to prison, and eventually fled to France.

She survived, returned to Argentina, and won six Latin Grammy awards.

Mercedes Sosa might be the most famous Argentinian singer of all time. She was so important that her death led to 3 days of national mourning.

My favorite songs are Alfonsina Y El Mar and Zamba para Olvidarte.

🌏 Cultural Differences on Quora

Short Book Takeaway

Set and enforce an aspirational personal hourly rate.

If fixing a problem will save less than your hourly rate, ignore it.

If outsourcing a task will cost less than your hourly rate, outsource it.

Almanack of Naval Ravikant by Eric Jorgenson

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