 By Connie Ellig & David Hopps
STAFF WRITERS
On the night of May 10, an expectant crowd of more than 600 persons filled the gardens of the oceanfront Casa de los Siete Patios, located eight miles north of Ensenada. The occasion was a special Mother’s Day concert featuring world famous Latin American pop star Amanda Miguel and her husband/producer, Diego Verdaguer.
Known for her powerful and passionate voice, Amanda Miguel enchanted the audience from the moment she stepped on stage. In addition to songs from her various albums and several duets with Diego, the sultry songstress performed her timeless classics from the 1980s including “Mi Buen Corazón” and “El Me Mintió” while the delighted crowd, which ranged in age from 18 to 80, chanted the lyrics in unison. A naturalized Mexican citizen who was born in Argentina, Amanda spent several minutes discussing her warm love for Mexico and affection for the friendly and hospitable people of Ensenada. (Earlier that day, she and Diego had spent several hours exploring Ensenada’s tourist zone, signing autographs at Hussong’s Cantina, and dining at Restaurant El Rey Sol.) Needless to say, the audience responded with thunderous applause.
Sharing the same backup band while alternating with his wife in 25-minute stints on stage, Diego Verdaguer proved his mettle as a singer, musician and showman. He captivated the crowd with his style of Latin romantic/pop/rock music and made the ladies swoon while performing his own greatest hits from three decades.
After several encores, the magical and memorable two-hour concert came to a close. Under the watchful eyes of security guards, Amanda and Diego graciously accepted long-stemmed red roses and bouquets of flowers from admirers and shook hands with many of their fans before retiring from the stage.
The May 10 performance, which was part of the couple’s “El Mejor Show Romántico de America 2008” national tour, was the first time that Amanda Miguel and Diego Verdaguer had appeared in concert in Ensenada. The show was presented by MPG Music Promotion Group in conjunction with Restaurant El Rey Sol and Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia, the latter of which received a portion of event proceeds to benefit its projects in the local community.
Originally formed as a service club for female Rotarians in 1987, the Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia, A.C., now has a mixed membership of 17 women and men between the ages of 32-60. Its current president is Luis Juárez Lujan. One of four Rotary clubs in Ensenada, the Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia serves the community by offering free eyeglass and prosthesis programs to children and adults in need, and by providing dental clinics at different local schools. One of the club’s future projects is the construction of a daycare center in Valle Dorado to serve the needs of poor working mothers. Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia has working relationships with various U.S. Rotary clubs, primarily those in California cities like Coronado, Irvine, Montebello and Ventura.
For the past ten years, Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia’s main fundraising event has been its annual Expo-Navidad held in November. The two-day Christmas Expo, usually held at the Riviera Cultural Center, features arts and crafts, holiday gifts, regional foods, artistic presentations and of course, Santa Claus himself. As another means of supporting its community projects, the club hosts a booth selling homemade Mexican foods at the Santo Tomás Street Fair, one of the events held in conjunction with the August Fiestas de la Vendimia (Grape Harvest Festival). To receive a portion of proceeds from the Amanda Miguel/Diego Verdaguer concert was a real bonus for the club, which was thrilled with the success of the evening.
Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia meets every Thursday at 8 a.m. at the Hotel Coral & Marina, located two miles north of Ensenada. For more information about Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia, its projects and activities, contact Martha Elena Cantua, District 4100 Public Relations President, at (646) 149-0273 or e-mail: karma502001@yahoo.com.mx
|
