The Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival is very proud to announce that they will be the recipient of an Arts and Culture grant from the Mexican federal government, increasing our budget and insuring we can continue. The grant, approved by the Chamber of Deputies and published in the Federal Government Expense Budget of 2012, will be financed through CONACULTA, (Consejo Nacional para la Cultura y las Artes), Mexico’s National Council for Culture and the Arts. The funds were requested to help improve the quality of the production of the festival, its infrastructure, and to bring in international artists from further away. After nine years of struggling with a very small budget, getting this prestigious grant from CONACULTA is an honor and a real milestone for the festival. Thanks to everyone who has contributed to our success over the years and thank you Mexico for supporting the arts in your communities!

A week of guitar music in paradise, Zihuatanejo’s popular music festival that has been gathering enthusiastic fans among artists and audiences alike for eight years, comes back in 2012 with more great music for a good cause. The non-profit festival has become known for showcasing world class music in intimate venues in a lovely seaside location. The internationally acclaimed musicians come to beautiful Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, from all across the globe. This year, as usual, some very exciting musicians will be coming: blues, classical, flamenco, rock, rockabilly, Gypsy jazz and swing guitarists from Brazil, Turkey, Mexico and across the US and Canada. They will be performing for a week of concerts and live shows in Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo.

A great vacation destination for the entire family, Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo has two championship golf courses, is ranked second in the world for sailfishing, and has some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. There are a wide array of accommodations from budget to five star, and culinary delights from traditional and authentic Mexican to inspired international fare that is second to none. Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo is a wonderful beach destination and there is no more perfect time to visit than when the streets are full of music. Event cover charges are from $100 – 250 pesos ($8-20 USD) per person, events are in Ixtapa, and Zihuatanejo, in the center of town and on the beach, nightly from March 5 – 11, 2012.

The ZIGF is a non-profit community sponsored festival, all organizers are volunteers and the musicians perform for free. A percentage of proceeds each year go to support local arts and culture projects in the community. More information can be found at www.zihuafest.info or on www.facebook.com/zguitarfest

2012 Artists

Jose Luis Cobo (Zihuatanejo, Mexico)
Zihuatanejo’s own poet lauréate and Zi¬huatanejo International Guitar Festival Ambassador. Local legend who has re¬corded and performed across Europe and Mexico but prefers to entertain his loyal following at his legendary Zihuatanejo bar, El Canto de las Sirenas, named after his hit song.

Tolgahan Çoğulu (Istanbul, Turkey)
Tolgahan Çoğulu (b. 1978 in Ankara, Turkey) received both the Master of Music and PhD degrees from Istanbul Technical University, Dr. Erol Ucer Center for Advanced Studies in Music. His PhD thesis is entitled ‘The Adaptation of Baglama Techniques into Classical Guitar Performance’ and it is published by VDM in 2011.
He founded the classical guitar duo ‘Duoist’ with Erhan Birol in 2007. The duo’s CD, It Takes Two (Pan Classics, 2011), features a collection of world premiers commissioned by the duo over the past decade. He designed the Adjustable Microtonal Guitar in 2008. He founded the world’s first microtonal & fretless guitar duo with Sinan Cem Eroglu in 2011.

Paul Renna, (Austin, USA)
Paul Renna is a visionary singer-songwriter with the extraordinary ability to raise hidden emotions in his listeners, surreptitiously forcing feelings of love, longing, happiness, and heartache from the depths of even the most hard-edged among us. With the release of his highly anticipated new album, “Brothers and Sisters”, available on iTunes, Renna seems to have broken through to a new plane of existence, exploring the deepest recesses of his heart and soul both lyrically and musically. www.paulrenna.com

Amy Cunningham (Toronto, Canada)
Born in Ontario, Canada, Amy Cunningham has been writing and performing for over 15 years. In July 2011, she released her debut album “To the stars we’ll return.” With support from over 30 college and roots radio stations in Canada and the US, Amy has been logging serious road miles; on tour for 7 months straight, she has played over 80 shows all over North America, and most recently travelled to Hakuba Japan, where she lived as an artist in residence for 6 weeks. Her messages are positive and her passion evident. You can hear some of her music at www.amycunninghammusic.com.

Arnaldo Freire (Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil)
Arnaldo Freire has received several awards including the National Guitar Competition at the Mozarteum Faculty and the National Guitar Competition Souza Lima and was the first musician to perform unprecedented concert premieres for Guitar and Orchestra in Goiás, conducted by Joaquim Jaime by the Symphony Orchestra of Goiânia. Compositions by Achille Picchi and Eduardo Escalante Estércio Marquez were written especially for the guitarist. In Freire’s compositions we see a refined Brazilianness: folk songs, frevos, sambas, waltzes and other colors are mixed with post-tonal techniques, refined counterpoints and unusual instrumentation. His compositions are published in the Arnaldo Freire Brazilian Contemporary Music Guide, edited by CDMC – Brazil / Unicamp, Paris.

Juneyt (Toronto, Canada)
Nuevo Flamenco guitarist, Juneyt, mesmerizes audiences with his exemplary finger work and passionate spirit. He is recognized as a highly talented, professional musician whose passionate performances have earned him rave reviews and several award nominations. Through his charisma, energy and natural charm one performance transforms listeners into instant fans.

Eric McFadden (San Francisco, USA)
Eric has toured Europe, North America, Japan and Australia and as a member of George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic, Eric Burdon &The Animals and Stockholm Syndrome. He has also worked with such greats as Jackson Brown, Joe Strummer (The Clash), Les Claypool (Primus), Bo Diddly, Reverend Horton Heat and Keb Mo. He continues to tour his own group in Northern America and Europe extensively. Eric’s music is available through Bad Reputation records, phYne Entertainment and iTunes. “If San Francisco is home to anyone approaching the abilities of a modern Hendrix, it’s Eric McFadden.” Guitar Player Magazine 2009 “…McFadden is a six string virtuoso. His command of so many genres- is accentuated with meticulously crafted songs…” (The Denver Post, December 2009 concert review) www.ericmcfadden.com

Jenny Kerr & Phil Milner (San Francisco, USA)
Jenny Kerr: San Francisco native, Oxford drop-out, and reformed expat, Jenny Kerr is a poetic singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (fingerstyle guitar, dobro, clawhammer banjo, harmonica, piano) who has toured Europe eight times on the country/blues/roots circuit and headlined festivals in 13 countries. Phil “Philbillie” Milner: As roadie for Bob Weir & Ratdog, he traded licks with the likes of Hot Tuna, Los Lobos, Bruce Hornsby’s band and The Black Crows and also worked for Tracy Chapman, Bonnie Raitt, Primus, Graham Nash, and a few other cool players. Now Jenny Kerr’s long-time guitarist, he also engineers and produces her and others’ records, including guitar virtuoso Eric McFadden whose all-acoustic “Devil Moon” album is a number one pick on CDBaby.com.

Adrian Raso& Nick Johnston (Guelph, Canada)
Mediterranean, Gypsy, World, and Latin Music performed by guitarist Adrian Raso. Reviews regarding Adrian’s body of work consider him a guitar virtuoso, an exceptional songwriter, and his jaw-dropping live shows never fail to impress. A must see!!!

Tim Williams (Calgary, Canada)
Tim Williams, born in Southern California but a long-time resident of Canada, is a finger-style and slide blues guitarist whose career has taken him to appearances in Australia, Morocco, Great Britain, Cuba and Mexico, as well as North America. He’s been nominated this year for CBC Radio’s “Great Canadian Blues” award, and a Maple Blues award as “Best Acoustic Act” from the Toronto Blues Society. As well, Tim is an in-demand CD producer, session musician and composer for theatre, with influences from Hawaii, Mexico, and North Africa blending with the blues in a highly original mixture.

Allen Alto (Washington, USA)
Alto has won many awards for his musical abilities; he studied at Central Washington University where he played in the prestigious Jazz Ensembles there. He has done extensive road and studio work with many well-known artists, such as John Sebastian and Jerry Jeff Walker, in almost every style of music. This shows in his playing as he blends all those influences into a truly unique style of guitar virtuosity.

Omar Torez (Los Angeles, USA)
“Omar Torrez’s music is equal parts Mexican and Cuban Son, gutbucket blues and post-modern rock. Think classic Latin song forms melted in Nortec Collective’s blast furnace and laced with the particulate embers of Paco De Lucia’s guitar and Manu Chao’s playfulness. A rare guitar virtuoso who has compelling songs and a great voice as well. His live performance must be experienced…”

Lige Williamson (Austin, USA)
Lige Williamson’s splashy slide guitar work and his startling vocals channel a soul grounded in American roots music. Lige plays a Delta Blues style with acoustic guitar, mandolin, and harmonica. His performances contain some dynamite original songs as well as selections by Taj Mahal, Robert Johnson, Keb Mo, and Son House. Lige grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. He has been playing in Texas and Colorado the last several months, with plans to perform in Austin during SXSW in March. He collaborated with Kyle Stersic on the CD “Born With Eyes Too Big For My Head,” released in November.

Tickets available at the door of each event. See www.zihuafest.info or email info@zihuafest.info for more information. Visit the You Tube Channel to see Videos of 2012 Selected Artists and Past Festival Performances: www.youtube.com/zguitarfest

For more information about Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo see www.visitiz.com

2012 Schedule
Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival, March 5-11, 2012

Monday March 5, 2012 – 6pm Sunset,
Kick Off Event:
Meet the Artist Cocktail and Festival Opening Press Conference
Rossy´s Bar and Restaurant
on the beach, Playa La Ropa, 100 pesos cover charge

Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – 6pm
Opening Concert
Gian Frank Center,
Ixtapa in Plaza Ixpamar, 250 pesos cover charge

Wednesday, March 7, 2012,
3 Bar Shows

7pm-10pm
Gian Frank Center,
Ixtapa in Plaza Ixpamar, 100 pesos cover charge

7pm-10pm
Black Bull Night Club,
Central Zihuatanejo, Calle Nicolas Bravo, 100 pesos cover charge

10pm-1am
El Canto de las Sirenas Bar,
Autopista 200, by the bus station, 100 pesos cover charge

Thursday, March 8, 2012,
Children’s Concert, Gala Dinner, 2 Bar Shows

1pm-4pm
Children´s Concert,
Central Social,
Centro Zihuatanejo, Calle Morelos, FREE

6pm-9pm
Gala Dinner Show
Bistro del Mar Restaurant,
On the beach Playa Madera, Zihuatanejo, 250 pesos cover charge

7pm-10pm
Black Bull night club,
Central Zihuatanejo, Calle Nicolas Bravo, 100 pesos cover charge

10pm-1am
El Canto de las Sirenas Bar,
Autopista 200, by the bus station, 100 pesos cover charge

Friday, March 7, 2012
3 Bar Shows

7pm-10pm
Gian Frank Center,
Ixtapa in Plaza Ixpamar, 100 pesos cover charge

7pm-10pm
El Pueblito Bar & Restaurant,
Centro Zihuatanejo, 100 pesos cover charge

10pm-1amn
El Canto de las Sirenas Bar,
Autopista 200, by the bus station, 100 pesos cover charge

Saturday, March 10, 2012 – 7pm-10pm
Closing Concert / Musicians Jam
El Pueblito Bar & Restaurant,
Zihuatanejo, 150 pesos cover charge,

Sunday, March 11, 2012 – 7pm-10pm
Guitar Festival Presentation on the Zocalo
Zihuatanejo Zocalo (Town Square), Central Zihuatanejo, FREE

Morelia Cathedral, Photo by Stephan Scherhag.

Morelia is more than the political capital of Michoacan, it is also the cultural center.

In 2003, the city embarked on an activity, ”Plan Luz.”  Buildings and historical monuments are lit up at night. The architecture is a true sixteenth century jewel.

In 2010, Morelia was named, “Latin America’s Illuminated City,”  by the organization, Lighting Urban Community International.  Created in 2002, at the behest of the City of Lyon, today the LUCI is an organization of nearly 100 members, comprising around 63 cities covering four continents and 35 associated members (international companies, lighting designers and architects, universities, independent lighting professionals.)

One of the first buildings to be lit was the city’s magnificent cathedral. It has the second largest organ in Latin America. The cathedral is home to the annual International Organ Festival. Speaking of festivals, there is a new one starting almost every week. Among them are the Mariachi Festival, Cine Festival, Dance Festival and the popular International Music Festival, which honours a different country every year.  Conservatorio de Las Rosas, founded in 1743 is said to be the oldest music conservatory in the new world. Along with the Cathedral it is lit up at night.

Plan Luz continues with new sites being added every year. At the end of 2011, there were 38 sites that are lit up each evening. This includes, buildings, monuments, and plazas.  On Saturdays fireworks and music can be seen and heard in front of the cathedral. Locals and tourists alike crowd the closed Calle Madero.

Morelia is certainly a city worth visiting.

–Monday, Dec. 19 at 6pm. Restaurant El Manglar on Playa La Ropa,

LINDA LEONARD- CANADIAN/ZIHUA TRAVEL AUTHOR presenting her 2 books: LIVING THE DREAM IN MEXICO is about RVing, about travel, about Mexico and her people; and LIVING THE DREAM IN EUROPE is a personal sharing of her travels and experiences while RVing for 4 months in Europe. It tells about how they planned, prepared, what it cost, where they stayed, and what they saw and experienced.

–The January presentation will be by author CAROLE STONE on Monday, Jan. 16, also at Restaurant El Manglar at 6pm. She will be presenting her 2 books of poems: LIME AND SALT and TRAVELING WITH THE DEAD.

Contact  authorsinzihua@hotmail.com for more information or if you or someone you know would like to do a presentation.

The original relic of the Virgin of Guadalupe

December 12th is traditionally known in Mexico as the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe (Día de la Virgin de Guadalupe), celebrating the manifestation of the Virgin Mary on Dec 9, 1531. It is the most important holiday in Mexico, even more important that Christmas, and is celebrated nationwide. Millions of pilgrims converge on the Mexico City Basilica to pay tribute to the country’s patron saint. In the weeks leading up to the holiday, the square in front of the Basilica is a stage for singing, dancing and celebration. And across the country pilgrimages, processions and fiestas are held to honor the Virgin.

The Virgin appeared to Aztec Juan Diego as he was on his way to morning services at a nearby church. He was stopped by the sound of heavenly music from the top of Tepeyac Hill—which was the former site of worship for the Aztec Goddess Tonántzin. He climbed the hill and saw a dark-skinned woman surrounded by light and music. She told him she wanted a temple built on the very spot they were standing. She spoke to him in his native tongue, Náhuatl, asked him to go the Bishop Zumárraga and request that a church be erected in her honor. Juan Diego went to the Bishop and made the request for the Virgin but as expected, the Bishop did not believe the Indian; he wanted proof. So several days later, when Juan Diego was rushing to find a priest for his dying uncle, the Virgin appeared again. She instructed him to take his tilma (a cape made from cactus fibers) and gather up all the roses that despite the winter frost, had miraculously grown at her feet. Juan Diego took these flowers to the Bishop, and as they poured out of his tilma, an image of the Virgin appeared on it. The image is one of the Virgin surrounded by the light of heaven and the stars of the winter solstice sky. It is this tilma, that is the relic of the Basílica de Guadalupe, for which millions of people from all over the world make a pilgrimage to the Tepeyac Shrine in Mexico City to view every year on the 12th of December.

The relic itself has been extensively studied over the years and its image is one of the most recognizable religious images in the world. The stars represented on the Virgin’s mantle are said to be the exact constellations that were present at the time the tilma was presented to the Bishop. The painting technique is said to resemble that of the Early Renaissance in the way the figure is presented and its gilded elements. The image contains both American and Mediterranean occidental symbols as well as Pre-Hispanic iconography. The image represents a combination of both cultures and became the impetus for the conversion of over six million Native Mexicans to Catholicism immediately following the sighting. The relic is made of coarse agave fibers and has been inexplicably preserved after 400 years of being touched and handled. And has withstood attempts at degradation by humidity, saltpeter and acid and remains complete and on display to this day.

All over Mexico, on the eve of the anniversary of the final appearance of the Virgin, and in the week before, churches, schools, organizations and businesses have their own processions through their towns. Young girls and boys are chosen to represent the Virgin and Juan Diego. The girls dress as the Virgin appeared in native dress with ribbons in their hair and the boys dress as Juan Diego with tilmas and straw hats. People decorate their cars and trucks with red roses and parade behind an ornate figure or painting of the Virgin, to their churches where a special mass is held.

-originally published January 2006.

Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City's Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Photo by: Tomasz Pado.

Widely admired and cultivated in many lands, Euphorbia pulcherria is best known north of the Rio Grande as……..?

Quick! What’s Mexican in origin, American by name, sometimes misunderstood and red all over?

Hint: this item is leafy and often called a flower, which it’s not, and was once thought to be poisonous, which it isn’t. And it’s a best-seller at Christmas, the season of peace, while named after a Secretary of War.

Answer: the poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherria, a favorite of Aztec king Montezuma and in English named after diplomat Joel Roberts Poinsett, an American botanist and ambassador to Mexico who first introduced it to the US from Mexico in the 1820′s.

Mexicans today call the poinsettia “la flor de Nochebuena,” or Holy Night (Christmas Eve) flower, but in fact the poinsettia is a plant, and its brightly colored parts are its bracts, or modified leaves. Montezuma decked the halls of his various palaces with poinsettias, something he wouldn’t have done, presumably, had he thought the plants dangerously toxic. But for decades people in the United States thought eating poinsettia leaves would kill you, until tests finally proved the pretty potted plant safe for household use. This the Aztecs knew; they used the milky sap of the ponsettia — what they called cuetlaxochitl — to counteract fever, and the bright leaves as a source for red dye.

Poinsett was taken by the crimson-colored plant when he first saw it near Taxco, here in the state of Guererro. He sent cuttings back to horticulturist friends in the States, where the plant’s popularity quickly spread. Today the poinsettia is the best selling potted plant in the United States and Canada, and represents 85% of all potted plant sales over the Christmas season.

But Poinsett’s main purpose in Mexico went beyond collecting exotic botanicals; he was America’s numero uno here at an important time in Mexican–American history. Mexico had gained independence from Spain in 1821 and, in formal recognition of the new state, U.S. president John Quincy Adams sent Poinsett off to Mexico City as America’s first ambassador to the new republic.

Poinsett was well prepared for his new posting. Enjoying all the benefits of an upper-class birth on a South Carolina plantation, Poinsett studied medicine, law and military science in the U.S. before leaving for an eight-year trek across Europe and Asia. He returned to his homeland fluent in four languages and a dedicated botanist; he brought with him crateloads of exotic plants gathered from the far corners of the world.

Poinsett won election to Congress in 1821, having earlier spent four years reporting to Washington on South American affairs and publishing a tract on the 11-year Mexican independence struggle. In recognition of his works in the public interest Columbia University awarded Poinsett an honorary doctorate of law in 1825.

That same year, on his arrival as first minister, Poinsett found Mexico in political crisis. The independence war won, battles between opposing Mexican political factions were just heating up; there was a new constitution but interpretations of it varied. Poinsett, of liberal disposition and representing the democratic, republican interests of expanding American power, soon ran afoul of conservative Mexican political players still intensely loyal to authoritarian values and old-regime monarchist institutions. America was also largely Protestant; Mexico overwhelmingly Catholic. Poinsett’s subtle encouragement and soft-peddling of Protestant Freemasonry into Mexico spelled his political end in Latin America. He was recalled to Washington in 1830.

Poinsett went on to complete more terms of public service, including a stint (1837-41) as Secretary of War under President Martin Van Buren. In the 1840′s his efforts on behalf of science and exploration contributed to the later founding of the Smithsonian Institution.

Poinsett died on December 12th,1851, and by an Act of Congress that date is designated National Poinsettia Day in the U.S. Fittingly, probably more poinsettias are sold in Mexico on the anniversary of Poinsett’s death than on any other day of the year, as the red plant is prominently displayed in celebration of the December 12th Dia de la Virgen.

Poinsettia, “la flor de Nochebuena” or cuetlaxochitl — call it what you will, along with a strong sun and gentle warm breezes, it’s Mexico’s gift to the world at Christmas.

-Originally published December 2005

Jeffrey Hornberger, Director Global Business Alliances, NAR, Jim Donahoe, Linda Neil Properties and Thierry Moine, Costa Baja resort and Marina

This year’s National Association of Realtors® (NAR) annual Conference and Trade Show was held in Anaheim, California. The theme comes from the fact that with low interest rates and lower prices for homes now is the moment to buy. (Or Seize the Moment)

The attendance of 20,000 exceeded expectations that 18,000 would be there. A large international contingent of 1,500 also attended. In addition to a full week of educational classes, there were a couple of notable social events.. One was the International Networking Reception. Mexico’s delegation was led by AMPI President Adan Laracilla,

Vice President Sergio Gomez and several members from AMPI La Paz. Those attending the Diana Ross, Celebrity Concert entered the auditorium on the traditional Hollywood red carpet.

At the Conference, new executive appointments were made. This year at the Conference, Maurice Veissi officially took office as the NAR President for 2012. On the International front, Teresa King Kenney, CEO of The Miami Association of Realtors replaced Adrian Arriaga, of McAllen Texas, as Chair of Business Global Alliances. Linda Neil of AMPI La Paz/ Los Cabos was one of 53 from around the world named as a Presidential Liaison. Linda will represent NAR in Mexico.

One of the most popular presentations at the Conference was made by NAR Chief Economist, Dr. Lawrence Yun.  He presented his Economic and Housing Market Outlook. Dr. Yun did not paint a bright picture of the market in the near future. His projection is for a 2% growth in the market for both 2012 and 2013. Then he projects a 4%  growth in 2014.

Mexico had its flag flying at the Annual Trade Show. AMPI La Paz sponsored a booth. Commenting on the show, Jeffrey Hornberger, Director Global Business Alliances said, “This is one of the largest and best organized shows in many years.” Adrian Arriaga, Chair of Global Business Alliances had this to say,” Great looking Booth. I had the opportunity to stop by and visit with the group. I look forward to visiting La Paz this coming year.”

Next year’s NAR Conference and Trade Show will take place in Orlando, Florida November 7 to 12th.

Adrian Arriaga, Chair Global Business Alliances, with Alexander Ogilvie President of AMPI Loreto.

The Collingwood-Zihuatanejo sister city committee has been in existence since 2004, bridging the communities of Collingwood, Canada, and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo, Mexico, through cultural exchange and philanthropic projects.

This year’s project will provide English language books and English language books on CD’s to Casa de la Pacifica, a program of educational enhancement for 120 of the city’s least advantaged, elementary school children.   The Sister City committee’s idea of “Books for niños (children)” was very enthusiastically received by contacts in Zihuatanejo, who recommended the recipient program. Casa de la Pacifica has been operating since 2001 and its graduates have begun to move on to secondary school.   English skills are an important asset in Mexico for further education and for employment.  It is primarily taught in the private schools whose students are from more affluent families.  Casa de la Pacifica provides a chance for public school students to enhance their education including the learning of English.

Community support for the project has been fabulous.  Saunders Smart Apple Media will be the primary source of new books; CDs have been provided by Staples; contributions of books have come from Thrive Chiropractic Clinic and several private citizens; former Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival musician and  Collingwood resident Drew Wright will be supervising recording of the CDs; Big Brothers/Big Sisters´ “Littles” will be reading some of the books to record onto CD’s; Collingwood Public Library may provide recording facilities and Wordstock welcomed our presence to publicize the project.   The major challenge for the project is the transportation of the books and accompanying CDs to Zihuatanejo.  Westjet airlines has offered to allow passengers going to Zihuatanejo to take three pieces of luggage with no more than 50lbs of books each, free of charge.  Now we have to find passengers.   Shipping via DHL is possible but very expensive; estimate of about $600 US for a 50 lb. Box.  We are working to find other options to get the books into the kids’ hands.

Want to get involved?   Join the Sister City Committee, Read a book or two to record onto CDs. Take book-filled bags on your trip to Zihuatanejo.  Donate funds for shipping. Share creative ideas for all aspects of the project, including transportation.

Past Sister City activities have included a visit to Collingwood by Zihuatanejo school children and an official visit to Collingwood by a Sister City delegation from Zihuatanejo.

Marcelo Ebrard Governor of the Federal District. District delivered the opening address.  A key subject was the new real estate law. “My state will pass legislation before the end of December. The law will be aimed at regularizing the real estate industry to help protect consumers from unscrupulous practices.” (NOTE: D. F. will be the sixth state to have a real estate law with legislation pending in eight other states.) Meanwhile AMPI President Adan Larracillo is having ongoing meetings with the Federal Government on this important initiative.

Eugene Towle, Director of Mexico’s; leading real estate consulting company, SOFTEC made an impressive presentation. It covered everything from Global Cereal Harvesting and Gross National Product per capita to statistics on Mexico’s automobile and real estate industries. One chart in his presentation showed the growth of the Mexican middle class from 30% in 1996 to 58% in 2006.

The AMPI Conference in Merida, Yucatan was considered by many to be the biggest and best ever. During her speech opening the event, Yucatan Governor, Ivonne Pacheco promised we would enjoy Merida and the state of Yucatan. Her prediction turned out to be true. “Watch for the smiles on the faces of our citizens.” she said. From the waiters at breakfast to the taxi driver going to the airport, always a smile and a pleasant greeting.

The schedule was full of interesting presentations. Two were especially interesting to members doing business in Mexico’s “Restricted Zone.”

Jennifer Wiziarde, Manager of Global Networks for the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) and Carlos Fuentes, Regional NAR Coordinator for North and Central America. held Networking sessions. They discussed the benefits of NAR for AMPI members and the illegal use of NAR trademarks. The word REALTOR® is trademarked protected as is the “R” logo with the blue background. AMPI members are eligible to become an International REALTOR® and legally use the word and symbol. Jennifer asked that if anyone sees a violation of the trade mark that a report be sent her and she will turn it over to NAR’s legal department.

A panel that discussed “Doing Business in the Restricted Zone.”  was moderated by Linda Neil of AMPI La Paz/Los Cabos. Panelists were Thomas Lloyd an internet marketing specialist from Riviera Maya, Doug Jones an authority on bank financing from Puerto Vallarta and Victor Loza, President of the AMPI-API State Commission for Baja California.

Two important agreements of cooperation were signed at the Conference. The first was with the Retirement Communities Association in Mexico. (AMAR)  Its objective is to promote Mexico as a retirement destination. The second agreement is with the Canadian Real Estate Association. (CREA) The aim is to foster cooperation between AMPI and CREA and to promote referrals between the two countries.

Ten new members of the National Advisory Council were elected at the Annual General Assembly. They will serve a two year term replacing outgoing members.  The Advisory Council elected Guillermo Salgado of Cuernavaca as AMPI’s new Vice President.

Guadalajara was selected for the site of the 2012 Conference.

On November 14-17 2011, Ixtapa Zihuatanejo will host “Festival de La Paz” (peace in Spanish) to re-dedicate and celebrate its commitment to work towards peace and to recognize the many international groups and organizations that participated in peace-building activities with the community over the past year.  The Peace Festival will be celebrated in November rather than in September, which is the UN International Peace Day, to avoid the rainy season in the tropical climate.

The three-day Festival begins on November 14^th with tours and activities around the community, like swimming with the dolphins, golf, fishing and site seeing.  Tourists are also invited to visit local churches and schools.

The Peace Festival and Ceremony will be held on November 17^tha at the Peace Pole Monument in Olof Palme Park in Zihuatanejo. Zihuatanejo’s Peace Pole is a six-foot, four-sided stone monument is made of beautiful, salmon colored “cadera rock,” bearing the inscription, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in Spanish, English, French, and Náhuatl, the local native language, which represents the various cultures in the area.

The Peace Festival will include music, dance and art.  Honorees include the World Prayer for Peace Society, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Task Force, the Detroit Renaissance Peace Center, Boeing Aerospace and other international organizations.

For more details, please visit:  www.imagine-mexico.com

Ten new members have been elected to the National Advisory Board of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals (AMPI). The election took place at AMPI’s Annual General Assembly held in Merida, Yucatan.

Armando Trujillo of Guadalajara led the balloting followed by Linda Neil of La Paz/Los Cabos. Others elected were Rogelio Ledesma of Queretaro, Guillermo Salgada, Cuernavaca, Griselda Inzunza, Culiacan, Cesar Eduardo Bonilla, Angelopis, Ramon Lopez, Merida, Guillermo Bojalil, Puebla, Adolfo Kunz, Mexico City and Gloria  Arroyuelo, Mexico City. These new members will serve a two year term starting in January, 2013

Guillermo Salgado of Cuernavaca is the new Executive Vice President of AMPI. He will become the new President in 2013.