Good Morning, Welcome to the 5th issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter. A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world. In this week’s newsletter: Nigeria, Brazil, and Peru. 🎷 Fela Kuti (Nigeria) In 2018, I was in Nigeria for the wedding of a friend. For his bachelor party, we went to a…
Cultural Reads Newsletter 4: Jazz in Macedonia, French Absurdism & Magic Realism
Morning All, Welcome to the 4th issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter. A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world. In this week’s newsletter: USA, France, Colombia. 🎷 Bill Evans (USA) During the summer of 2019, my housemate and I traveled to Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. When searching for activities, we…
Cultural Reads Newsletter 3: Australian Prison Escape, Mali Blues, Italian Beauty
Hi All, Welcome to the third issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter. A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world. As you can see, I now officially have a logo—a huge shout-out to Martha from Colombia for helping me out with the design! In this week’s newsletter: Australia, Mali, and…
Best Nigerian Authors | 3 Great Writers To Start With
In 2050, Nigeria will likely be the 3rd biggest country in the world. With an expected 900 million inhabitants, the country will become China and India’s runner-up. As you can imagine, a country this size has a lot to offer culturally speaking. It’s, therefore, no wonder that the world knows many Nigerian authors (check out…
Cultural Reads Newsletter 2: Brazilian Intuition, Spanish Flamenco, Bosnian War Atrocities
Hi Friends Welcome to the second issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter. A bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world. This week covers Brazil, Spain, and Bosnia. 📙 The Alchemist (Brazil) The Alchemist is one of the world’s most popular bestsellers. Although I don’t believe Paolo Coehlo is very popular among…
Cultural Reads Newsletter 1: Bestseller Nigeria, Manila Chill Pop, French Cultural Thriller
Hi Everyone Welcome to this first issue of the Cultural Reads Newsletter, a bi-weekly book, music, and movie recommendation from different countries all around the world. This week covers Nigeria, France, and the Philippines. 📙 Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) Chinua Achebe is one of Nigeria’s best authors of all time. He grew up in an Igbo family that…
Why This Blog
In 2020, COVID-19 put a halt to international travel. The number of passengers passing through Amsterdam Airport dropped by 80%, and the start of 2021 didn’t look much better. We lived life virtually, and human connections turned into online encounters. Travel was no exception. The best option to sightsee was either close to home or…
Brazilian Music | The World of Samba, Bossa Nova & Tropicália
Beautiful beaches, soccer, and Brazilian carnival are some of the first things that come to mind when thinking about the biggest country in South America. But Brazil is also home to Samba music, Bossa Nova, and thousands of talented artists. Its music doesn’t only thrive nationally (Brazilians are allegedly responsible for 5% of Spotify’s revenues)…
Top 3 Colombian Movies | Beautiful Landscapes, Tension & Mysticism
In 2017, Colombia produced 49 movies, compared to 220 in Argentina and 160 in Brazil. Due to the lower revenues from box office sales, it’s challenging for directors to make it to the international stage. Despite these constraints, however, Colombia’s had some important international recognition in the last few years. Below, I’ve given a top…
Best Argentinian Movies Of All Time | A Top 5
Argentinian Movie Scene Besides being a popular holiday destination, Argentina is well known for its movie scene and home to one of the most important South American actors, Ricardo DarÃn (more about him later). Watching foreign movies is a great way to familiarize yourself with another country’s culture by learning about important topics and how…