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News Roundup: Folk songs, barter culture & a very memorable father

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At Hola Cultura, we consider it our mission to pass along links to arts, culture and humanities news of interest to DC’s Latino community and beyond. Here are a few headlines that caught our eyes recently:

The Washington Post published a story this week on the modern-day resurgence of barter culture. Reporter Ariana Eunjung Cha visited a town in Spain where people have launched a system to help cope with the economic crisis. People there provide goods and services in exchange for credits the can use to acquire other goods in services. Yoga classes and carpentry work were among the tradable items mentioned.

Meanwhile, Post foreign correspondent Juan Forero has a “Letter from Medellin“on Colombian author Hector Abad’s new book “Oblivion: A Memoir.” It’s loving tribute to his father, who was gunned down in Medellin 25 years ago. The Post described the senior Mr. Abad as “a formidable intellectual, humanitarian doctor and political radical.”

On a similar theme, Hola Cultura’s first book review is of the novel, “Los Ejércitos,” by Evelio Rosero, which also deals with the political travails that have buffeted Colombia for decades. This is the first in a series of reports on books en español that you can check out at the Washington, DC public library.

Meanwhile, folk singing legend Rodriguez performs at the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, Thursday night, August 30.