Zaanstad

Ronald Koeman is a former Dutch footballer, and the current manager of Feyenoord. He is the younger brother of former Feyenoord coach Erwin Koeman... and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman. He was renowned for his long-range accuracy, especially in free kicks. In 1980 Koeman started his professional career at Groningen. After playing for Ajax, PSV and FC Barcelona, he finished his career in Feyenoord. During his career he won two UEFA European Cup titles, five Dutch championships, three Dutch Cups, four Spanish championships, one Spanish Cup and he was also in the winning Dutch national team at the UEFA Euro 1988. Besides being a defender at the centreback position, Koeman was also known for his powerful right-footed freekicks and deadball ability where he scored many vital goals for the team, and it was from a free kick that he scored Barcelona's winning goal in the 1992 European Cup final. His nickname while playing for Barcelona was Floquet de Neu, after the famous albino gorilla in the Barcelona Zoo.
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Aafje Heynis is a Dutch contralto. In 1961, she was awarded the Harriet Cohen International Music Award. A tea rose, hybridised by Buisman 1964, was... named after her. As young as aged four she sang in the child choir and together with her father at the harmonium. On the advice of Jan Mienes, the conductor of the choral society in her native town of Krommenie she auditioned for teacher Jo Immink in Amsterdam with an arrangement of the "Pilgrims' Chorus" from Wagner's "Tannhauser". After that from 1946 to 1949, her singing teacher was Aaltje Noorderwier-Reddingius and was given good advice by Laurens Bogtman, the great oratorio singer. She quickly established her reputation, to begin with in the field of oratorio. With her performance in Brahms' Alto Rhapsody with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra under the direction of Eduard van Beinum, she attracted wide attention. She performed many concerts in churches, Lieder recitals, and numerous performances of Bach's St. Matthew Passion. For the Philips label she made a whole series of recordings of works by Brahms, Bach, Handel and Mendelssohn.
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The Dutch organist and composer Pieter William Kee was born in Zaandam, Netherlands on August 30, 1927. He studied organ, piano and composition at... the Amsterdam Conservatory, obtaining the Prix d'Excellence, and won first prize at the annual Haarlem International Improvisation Competition three times in succession . This was the start of a worldwide career as a concert organist. He taught at the Music Lyceum and Sweelinck Conservatory in Amsterdam from 1954 until 1988, and at the Haarlem International Summer Academy for Organists. He was organist of the Hagerbeer-Schnitger organ in St. Laurens church in Alkmaar from 1952 to 1987, and city organist of the world famous Müller organ at St. Bavo church in Haarlem from 1956 until 1989. His improvisation skills are renowned . His compositions now include the "Haarlem Concerto", which received its first performance by Thomas Trotter in March 2006. His numerous recordings, several of which received awards, include a series of CDs on the Chandos label, covering the repertoire from Sweelinck to Messiaen, recorded on important European historical instruments.
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George Baker is a Dutch singer and songwriter best known for his global hit Paloma Blanca. He was the lead singer of the pop musical ensemble,... George Baker Selection. He is now a solo artist. In 1967, Bouwens joined the band Soul Invention, which later changed its name to "George Baker Selection." Their first album, Little Green Bag , gave them their first hit. Their debut single, "Little Green Bag" reached the #16 position on the Cash Box magazine chart and #21 in the Billboard Top 100 in the United States. This disc sold over one million copies globally, and received a gold disc. By 1972 the band had sold over 5 million records. Their fifth album Paloma Blanca was released in 1975, and the single "Paloma Blanca" reached #1 in the charts in several countries. In 1978 the George Baker Selection split up because "the pressure had become too much." The band has sold over 20 million records worldwide. George Baker formed a new George Baker Selection in 1985, which stayed together until 1989. The band has released twelve albums and several compilation albums.
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Ali B is a Dutch rapper of Moroccan descent. He has been noted as the first Moroccan-Dutch star in Dutch pop culture, "perhaps the most popular... rapper in the Netherlands", and has performed together with Akon and Dutch artist Marco Borsato. Ali B married his then-manager Breghje, with whom he lives in Almere. They have two sons, Omar and Amir. In March 2004, Ali B participated in a special edition of Dutch television station RTL 4's The Weakest Link. Ali B voted Jan Smit out, spelling his name on the board as "Jan Shit". As a result, he and Smit's manager, as well as Smit himself, entered into a fight. On Wednesday 27 December 2006, Ali B organised a fireworks display on the marketplace in order to launch and introduce the new radio station TMF at Staphorst. A funeral was being conducted in the vicinity of the display, and complaints were made that it was disruptive to the ceremony . No licences had been issued for the firework display by the municipality, on which grounds Staphorst filed a case against Ali B. Ali B claimed defamation, and in the end only received a warning.
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Hendrikus Josephus Huisman is a Dutch television presenter. He presented the Miniplaybackshow and the Soundmixshow in the 1980s and 1990s. Huisman... is Patron of the Netherlands Positive / Nederland Positief.
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