Page 30 - ARUBA TODAY

A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Thursday 13 June 2019

On Anne Frank’s 90th birthday, her friends meet students

By MIKE CORDER one hiding place to anoth-
Associated Press er as he dodged arrest and
AMSTERDAM (AP) — For deportation.
Jacqueline van Maarsen, Asked what lessons he
attending Anne Frank’s would pass on to the youth
13th birthday party in 1942 of today, he told students
was a welcome distraction from the International
from the grim reality of life School of Amsterdam: “I
in Nazi-occupied Amster- think you have to learn
dam during World War II. things from what happens.
Enjoying movies and cook- I’ve been helped by so
ies at Anne’s apartment many different people and
meant “we didn’t think they were Roman Catholic,
about it at that moment,” Protestant, atheist, com-
the 90-year-old Van Maars- munist, rich, poor,” he said.
en said Wednesday as she “I’ve slept in 12 different
and another of Anne’s places during hiding and
friends met students from my lesson is: Good people
Amsterdam schools at an can be found everywhere.”
event to mark what would Squeezed into the living
have been Anne’s 90th room of the apartment,
birthday. The 13th birth- which has been painstak-
day party was a fleeting ingly restored so that it looks
relief for children already like it would have when the
suffering from discrimina- Jacqueline van Maarsen, center, poses for a photo with students from the International School Frank’s lived there, the stu-
tory, anti-Jewish regulations of Amsterdam during an event to mark what would have been Anne Frank’s 90th birthday, in dents listened intently and
and forced to wear Star Amsterdam on Wednesday, June 12, 2019. peppered Van Maarsen
of David patches on their Associated Press and Gomes de Mesquita
clothes. Just three weeks day’s meeting was at the war, later published her di- diary was laid on a table with questions.
later, Anne and her family Frank family’s former apart- aries. The book went on to along with other gifts — a “It was really incredible
fled into hiding in the secret ment in southern Amster- be published in dozens of blue blouse, cold cream, to meet them, not only as
annex behind a canal-side dam, where they lived be- countries around the world a book, that she described Anne’s friends but as sur-
house that was made fa- fore going into hiding. and is regarded as one of receiving on her birthday. vivors of the war,” said
mous in her diary. Less than They hid in the annex for the most important works of Like Anne, with whom he 13-year-old Sietse Munting.
three years after that, ex- just over two years before the 20th century. attended Amsterdam’s He was moved by Van
hausted and suffering from being arrested and deport- It was on her 13th birthday Jewish Lyceum, Albert Maarsen saying that she
typhus, Anne died with her ed to Nazi-run concentra- that Anne received her first Gomes de Mesquita, 89, sometimes felt like she lost
sister in the Bergen-Belsen tion camps. Anne’s father red checkered diary, call- also went into hiding. Un- her identity because she
Nazi concentration camp Otto, the only member of ing it “maybe one of my like the Franks, he moved was labeled as Anne’s
in February 1945. Wednes- the family to survive the nicest presents.” A similar around the country from friend.q

Romeo Santos on upcoming MetLife show: ‘It’s a blessing’

By MESFIN FEKADU something like a nightclub Santos, who is the CEO of
Associated Press as fans show up dressed Roc Nation Latino and has
NEW YORK (AP) — For Ro- in their best outfits, with collaborated with Drake
meo Santos, performing groups of women enjoying and Usher, said he hopes
live isn’t just about singing a girls’ night out or couples to perform his entire new
a song. It’s about giving dancing closely together album, “Utopia,” during
die-hard fans an entertain- on date night. the show. The album re-
ing, memorable and life- Santos, 37, said he’s never unites him with his former
changing experience. attended a show at MetLife bandmates in Aventura,
“When you go to a con- but has been hard at work the group that gave Santos
cert, when you go pay preparing for the big show. his start.
money, it has to go beyond Only a handful of acts have “Anything is possible,” he
just performing the song — been able to perform a said when asked if Aven-
anyone can do that,” he show at MetLife, which can tura would perform at the
said. “It has to be special in house more than 80,000 MetLife show. “I never re-
many ways.” In this Monday, June 10, 2019 photo, singer Romeo Santos poses fans. They include Taylor veal surprises.”
His commitment to live per- for a portrait at the JW Marriott Essex House in New York, New Swift, Beyoncé, BTS and “Utopia” debuted at No. 1
formance is probably why York. the Rolling Stones, who will on Billboard’s Top Latin al-
he’s been able to sell out Associated Press perform two shows at the bums chart in April and fea-
Yankee Stadium twice and Jersey, venue on Sept. 21. out two nights at Yankee venue in August. tures some of the best old-
is now set to become the “It is a blessing,” the singer Stadium, multiple nights at “I’m putting more ener- school bachateros, includ-
first Latin act to perform at of Dominican and Puerto Madison Square Garden gy into making sure that I ing Antony “El Mayimbe”
MetLife Stadium, home to Rican descent, who hails — it’s truly a blessing. Now show my fans an evolution, Santos, Frank Reyes, Raulín
the New York Giants and from the Bronx, said in an in- it’s a new challenge in my production-wise. I want to Rodriguez and El Chaval
New York Jets. The King of terview Monday. “I’ve had career to do MetLife, so I’m make sure people leave de la Bachata.
Bachata will perform his loyal fans for quite a while super-excited about that.” that stadium saying this is Santos said he was success-
“UTOPIA The Concert” at now. To be able to even At Santos’ concerts, the Romeo’s best show yet,” ful at keeping the project a
the East Rutherford, New say that I’ve already sold venue usually turns into he said. secret.q