My Take
Mariska Veres is one of those artists who burned herself into your memory with a single song — "Venus" hit in 1969 and it still sounds like pure rocket fuel today. As the face and voice of Shocking Blue, she had this magnetic, almost otherworldly stage presence: that towering jet-black wig, the heavy kohl around her eyes, a voice that was smoky and powerful all at once. She was born in The Hague and grew up to become one of the most visually iconic figures in late-60s European rock, which was no small feat when British and American acts dominated everything. It's genuinely sad she passed in 2006 at just 59 — I feel like her era never gave her quite the legendary status she deserved. "Venus" alone has outlived half the bands of that generation, and that's entirely her doing.
Overview
Maria Elisabeth Ender, better known as Mariska Veres (; 1 October 1947 – 2 December 2006), was a Dutch musician who was the lead vocalist of the rock group Shocking Blue. She was known for her sultry voice, eccentric performances, and her striking appearance which featured kohl-rimmed eyes, and high and long jet-black hair, which was actually a wig.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mariska Veres
- Name (Japanese)
- マリスカ・ヴェレス
- Reading
- まりすか・ゔぇれす
- Born
- October 1, 1947 – December 2, 2006
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Boar
- Origin
- The Hague, Netherlands
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- singer
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.