Virtuoso world-class guitarist Paco Renteria and his band are returning to the stage of the Auditorio de la Ribera del Lago for the second time to benefit the auditorium upgrade fund.
The concert dates are Friday and Saturday, January 20 and 21, 7:30 p.m. This is a great chance to enjoy a fabulous concert and help fill the coffers of the Pro Auditorio fund.
The auditorium was constructed in 1970 with community and state funds and land provided by the municipality. The building is in constant use for concerts, training seminars, graduations, community meetings and something nearly every day.
All of those events have taken a toll. The current electrical wiring can not handle advanced lighting systems, the air conditioning has reached the end of its mechanical life and the lighting and acoustics are so bad that many performers really dislike performing there.John Keeling spearheaded an auditorium improvement project in 2010, registering a non-profit organization Pro Auditorio del Lago de Chapala, A.C. with representation from the five principal music organizations at Lakeside: VIVA la Musica!, MAS Musica, Los Cantantes del Lago, Northern Lights Music Festival and the Ajijic Music School (CREM). The purpose was to raise funds necessary for upgrading the auditorium and to oversee the design and construction.
The goal is to raise one million pesos from the community by the end of February, to be matched by government agencies, bringing the total amount allocated for the project to three million pesos. So far, with music groups and individuals pitching in and talented Lakesiders providing shows and entertainment, the project has accrued 700,000 pesos. There are more events planned for future weeks, but individuals and businesses can help a lot, too. Pro-Auditorio needs your donations now. Deposit to account no. 6679559 at Banco Actinver, or if you need a United States tax deductible receipt, you must follow a separate procedure using the website www.ProAuditorio.org to pay via Pay Pal or credit card.