++++++ Victor Danier Valdés at Namaste Village - Jan 4th, 2025 at 4 p.m. ++++++

               Greetings!

Come join us for an afternoon of music in support

of our Special Needs Programs in San Pedro Itzicán.

Suggested donation: $200 p per person.

No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.

No host bar included.

We hope you can join us.

The Namaste Village & Poco A Poco San Pedro Itzicán.

www.pocoapocosanpedro.com

Feliz Año Nuevo !

+++++++++++ The 4th Paella Festival of Lake Chapala +++++++++++++

Event Review and Photos by Francisco (Fco.) Nava

The Fourth Paella Festival of Lake Chapala promised to be a very special and unique event...and it was! On Saturday October 19th, 2024 at 12 noon at the Centro de la Cultural y Arte de la Ribera de Chapala (CCAR) in La Floresta 200 guests, 7 paella teams, a small army of bartenders, waiters, musicians and volunteers arrived to kick off the delicious annual event.

The Paella Festival is a culinary competition challenging the competitors to outdo each other by creating traditional and alternative forms of the well known dish. The event was a fundraiser for Poco A Poco San Pedro Itzican, A.C., a non-profit organization that helps the people in the small villages east of Mezcala by saving people and improving lives.

www.pocoapocosanpedro.com

The afternoon started off with drinks, appetizers and entertainment. As the guests found their tables the smooth styling of baritone Victor Danier, Cuban crooner were heard, singing selections from the American Songbook.

The paella teams exuberantly cooked away and the guest were free to wander through the cooking area, taking in the tempting fragrances and freely speaking to the chefs about their varied paellas. The cooks began to show off their culinary arts, but, above all, their good humor and camaraderie. Because, unlike the culinary contests so fashionable in which the contenders suffer and are humiliated, the Paella Festival of Lake Chapala is, above all, a space for coexistence and joy.

As the guests anxiously waited for the paellas to be done, they were further entertained by our own Lakeside Jazz Trio and offered wine selections from La Estramancia and tequila and mezcal tastings from Taja de la Mora. Spanish cocas and tortillas were passed around and sampled along with a raspberry liquer specially made for the event by Paco Romero.

Paco Romero (left)

The  creator of the festival is Paco Romero, “architect by profession and cook by vocation.” On a trip to Valencia, Spain, he fell in love with paella and learned how to cook it. Regarding his initiative to create the paella festival, the promoter of Arrocería del Lago commented “I have come to live here, so this festival is my gift to the lake and the lake to me. The participants are basically amateurs and professionals, people who like to make rice dishes. Francisco (Fco.) Nava was co-producer of the festival along with his brother Paco Romero.

Finally at 3 p.m. the guests started lining up to taste the paellas. Traditional paella valenciana, squid ink paella, mixed seafood paella, vegetarian paella were just a few of the selections and guests were free to try any or all of the aforementioned.

While the guests ate, a coupon book raffle was held and the winning top 3 paella teams were awarded: 1st place went to Bernardo Huerta for his mixed paella, 2nd place went to Javier Jalorno and Bernardo Cisneros for their country paella and 3rd place to Humberto Rojas, Bernardo Huerto and Juan Carlos Castañeda for their squid ink paella. After the main course, a dessert of delicious pay de limón (lemon cheesecake) was served, provided by Pay de Co in Guadalajara.

Then the main attraction took to the stage and performed a wonderful flamenco show.  Chess was the flamenco troupe brought from Guadalajara to entertain the guests and they got everyone’s blood flowing. They were a hit and everyone asked after the troupe.

At approximately 6 p.m. the afternoon wound down and the guests started leaving. They departed with heartfelt thanks and applauded the afternoon of delicious food, fun entertainment and wonderful camaraderie.

Look for us next year at the 5th Paella Festival of Lake Chapala.

++++++++++ Enrique Florez & Katia Iran - A Very Special Concert ++++++++++++

The Performers:

Enrique Florez, trained in Europe by masters such as Andrés Segovia and Narciso Yepes, studied at institutions like the Áurea Corona School of Music and the National Conservatory of Mexico. In 1968, he premiered Yepes' 10-string guitar at the Palacio de Bellas Artes. Founder of the Early Music Ensemble Siglos Pasados (1980), he has performed in major cities such as Athens, Rome, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, and throughout Mexico.

Katia Iran, from Guadalajara, began her piano studies at the age of seven and later trained in vocal performance at the University of Guadalajara. She has participated in musicals like The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables, and is a member of the Jalisco State Choir, performing in operas such as La Bohème and Madama Butterfly. As a soloist, she has performed works such as Vivaldi’s Gloria and Mozart’s Requiem at venues like the Teatro Degollado and Palacio de Bellas Artes. She is also the founder of the vocal ensemble Magna Voce.

The Locale:

The Finca de Adobe, now the first Mariachi School in Lakeside in Ajijic, was named after the musician Pedro Rey, the school offers different disciplines in the most Mexican musical genre, the mariachi.

Provenance:

In 1797, the first document appears mentioning the names “San Nicolás de Chiapa,” “San Nicolás de la Pesquería,” or “Rancho Los Heredia.” It is unknown who the first owner of the Ranch was. It is known that the two plots of land that formed the Rancho de San Nicolás de Chiapa were granted to Don Diego García by Lorenzo Suárez de Mendoza, Viceroy of New Spain and Count of Coruña, in 1581, although no document now exists to support this information.

The first precise record dates to 1888, mentioning Luis Loza, from Jocotepec, as holding part of the Ranch. According to testimonies from local elders, he rented the land to the original residents of Ajijic. In the early 20th century, the property was purchased and later expanded, continuing the tradition of leasing land to local farmers.

In 1945, it was sold again, and a small portion of it is now known as Finca de Adobe.

Tickets:

Tickets are available at Galería Moca - Lakeside print, which is located on the San Antonio Tlayacapan plaza, from Monday thru Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. or by WhatsApp text to 3314322577.

++++ La Ponzoña de Agave at Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera ++++

Join us for a provocative and inspiring performance.

With roots deeply embedded in Mexican music, the band dares to fuse diverse genres like jazz, funk, and hip hop, creating an intoxicating and exciting blend that surprises and delights in equal measure.

You can't miss it!

A short 2 min. video

Box Office Hours

DragFormations at LCS - Thursday, November 7th at 5pm

 DragFormations

DragFormations is a transformational event, benefiting the following charities:

                Poco A Poco San Pedro Itzican

                Ninos Incapacitados

                El Proyecto Poncho

Come join us for a fun filled afternoon alfresco at the Lake Chapala Society on Thursday, November 7^th at 5pm.

3 Mentors will dress and style 3 volunteer contestants in all their drag glory.  Each charity will have a contestant representing them in 3 categories of competition.  3 judges will rate each category on a scale of 1-10.

The 1^st place contestant will earn 50% of the event proceeds for their respective charity.

2^nd and 3^rd place contestant will each get 25% of the event proceeds for their respective charities.

There will be a 50/50 drawing.  Food and drink will be available for purchase from Casa Linda Café in the garden.  Food and drink will be available starting at 4pm.

There will be various performances, music and dancing in between each category.

Come enjoy a transformational afternoon of laughter, fun and friends, all supporting a worthy cause.

We hope to see you there!

Paella Fest IV - Chapala Lakeside - 2024

Botiquin Homeopatico - Taller - 3 de agosto de 10 a.m. a 2 p.m. Ajijic

 

Si tienen interés, por favor manden un correo a

fcorrc@gmail.com

o

un WhatsApp al 331-070-5992