Varius Manx is a Polish musical group formed in 1989 in Łódź. The band was founded by composer and multi-instrumentalist Robert Janson, alongside brothers Michał Marciniak and Paweł Marciniak. The group's name is a combination of the Latin word varius (meaning various or diverse) and the Manx cat breed.
The band's early work was primarily instrumental, as heard on their debut album The Beginning (1990). However, the group achieved widespread commercial success in Poland during the 1990s after transitioning to a pop-rock format with lead vocalists. The history of Varius Manx is often categorized by the tenure of its various female lead singers:
Anita Lipnicka Era (1993–1996): Lipnicka joined the band for the album Emu (1994), which became a significant commercial success. This era produced several of the band's most recognizable hits, including "Zanim zrozumiesz" and "Piosenka księżycowa." The follow-up album, Elf (1995), also achieved multi-platinum status.
Kasia Stankiewicz Era (1996–2000, 2015–Present): Following Lipnicka's departure, Kasia Stankiewicz joined the group after winning a television talent show. Her debut with the band, the album Ego (1996), featured the hit "Orła cień," which remains one of the most popular songs in Polish pop music history. Stankiewicz left the band in 2000 to pursue a solo career but rejoined the group in 2015 for their 25th-anniversary tour and subsequent studio recordings.
Monika Kuszyńska Era (2000–2010): Kuszyńska joined in 2000, and the band released albums such as Eta (2001) and Eno (2002). In May 2006, the band was involved in a serious car accident in Milicz. The accident left Kuszyńska paralyzed from the waist down and resulted in a period of inactivity for the group as members recovered.
Subsequent Vocalists: In 2010, Anna Józefina Lubieniecka became the lead singer, followed by Edyta "Edi Ann" Kuczyńska in 2013. These periods saw the release of the albums Eli (2011) and various singles.
Varius Manx has been a recipient of numerous industry accolades, including several Fryderyk awards (the Polish equivalent of the Grammy) and the Grand Prix at the Sopot International Song Festival. The group is recognized as one of the most influential Polish pop-rock acts of the post-1989 era.