La Doña headlines Encuentro del Canto Popular at the Chapel
Holding a fundraiser in a funeral home might not seem like a recipe for joy — or longevity. But after more than four decades, the Encuentro del Canto Popular continues to thrive as one of the region’s signature Latin music events. Launched as a one-off in 1982 by a young attorney named Bill Martinez and Juan Gonzalez — founder of the Mission newspaper El Tecolote — the first six-act program took place in the chapel of what was then Halsted & Co. Funeral Directors on Valencia Street.Over the years, the annual event has presented some of Latin American music’s most illustrious stars at venues around the city. But on Sunday, Dec. 8, the 43rd annual Encuentro returns to the same location where it started — which is now the music venue known as The Chapel. A fundraiser for the arts […]