Mariska Veres

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Mariska Veres was a Dutch singer, born in The Hague in 1947 as Maria Elisabeth Ender. Mariska is the Hungarian diminutive of Maria. Her father was the Hungarian violinist and bandleader Lajos Veres, of Roma descent, who had come to the Netherlands in 1939; her mother was born in Germany. At home she received piano and singing lessons, and she sang along with records by Helen Shapiro and Cliff Richard. At fifteen she became the singer of the Hague band Les Mystères, with which she won a talent contest in 1963. She then sang in a series of bands, including the Indo-rock group The Motowns, where she also played the organ.

Music and breakthrough

In 1968 she was asked to join Shocking Blue, the band built around the guitarist and songwriter Robbie van Leeuwen, as a replacement for a singer who had to do military service. After Send Me a Postcard and Long and Lonesome Road came Venus in 1969, which became a worldwide hit and was the first Dutch record to reach number 1 in America. Shocking Blue then toured all over the world and had hits such as Never Marry a Railroad Man and Mighty Joe. In 1974 the group broke up. Veres then made solo singles, which were successful mainly in Germany, and later sang jazz with the Shocking Jazz Quintet. She died in 2006.

Influence

Veres stood out for her low, warm voice and her striking appearance, with black-rimmed eyes and long black hair, which was in fact a wig. She was one of the first Dutch female singers to become internationally known in rock music.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1993Shocking You
• 2003Gipsy Heart

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 11: Nederpop^NL Reader

Mentioned in other articles

• Venus SongGuitarist Robbie van Leeuwen wrote it, and Mariska Veres sang.

See also

• Venus