Cultural Reads 82: Test Your Knowledge, Japanese Comics & Poetry

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.

šŸŽ· Afrobeats is not Afrobeat!

“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.

šŸ–‹ļø Three Poems

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 Rubin’s The Creative Act, I realized that art is sharing a human experience through one’s personal lens, hoping others will resonate with it. It’s neither good nor bad; the artist’s only responsibility is creating and sharing the art.Ā 

So here areĀ three poems.

šŸŽ¬ Best War Movies

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 

🄣 Food Delivery Quiz (World)

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 

šŸ““ Shuna's Journey (Japanese Manga)

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!

šŸ“€ Aja Monet (USA)

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 

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