Interviewer: Tarja Turunen, when was the last time you laughed?Tarja: Well, about two minutes ago. I’m a joyful person and the sound of laughing can be heard every day. And a lot!I: When was the last time you cried?T: Wow. Wait.. A few.. A week ago at the end of a concert in Argentina I was moved to tears.I: When did you clean last?T: Just before leaving home. We left on a plane the day before yesterday from Buenos Aires to Finland, so a quick clean to get dust off, so it would be nicer to come home next time.I: Apologized?T: I say I’m sorry to my own husband, if I make mistakes. Not terrible, dramatic things, but if I forget to do something inadvertently. Probably a couple of days ago there was something like that, I had forgotten to send an e-mail or something like that, a small thing, but I apologized.I: When was the last time you did something for the first time?T: Wow, that’s a tough one. For the first time.. That’s hard. Yeah, for the first time. I was forced on tour to make a grilled dinner on our day off. That was the first time a grilled meat in the Argentinean way. The locals did laugh at me a bit. That was the first time. Probably not the last.I: So barbequing in Argentina is different than..T: Yes, it’s a little different from the Finnish way.I: Did something for the sake of love?T: My life is so filled with love, I have a two-year-old daughter Naomi and a lovely husband. Our everyday life is filled with love. Doing something for the sake of love actually happens every day. Doing things for love and how I do them, to make sure my family is alright. You do things every day for the sake of love.I: Wanted to make a change in your life?T: There have been a lot big changes in my life, like moving internationally, moving to a different house. But what I’d like to change in my life at the moment is to have more time for myself and my family. I have had a lot work and it will continue like so for the next couple of years, I know that. But I have a feeling I should actually start to fight so that I have time for me. A person manages until a certain point. Head might be able to go on, but not the body. It says it can’t go on anymore at some point. That would be the change at this point, now I would want more time for myself.I: When did you wish you were someone else last?T: On the plane ride to Finland! I hoped I was someone else. Every other bloody person that walked by noticed that that’s Tarja Turunen sitting there looking all tired and with huge bags under her eyes. And a long way, she must have travelled a long way since she looks so tired. At that point I wished I was someone else for a change.I: Felt like you succeeded as a mom?T: Wow. It must have been yesterday. She’s learning new Finnish words daily. She’s now two so it’s the best age in the sense that that learning process is explosive. She learns so much every day. I get blasts of happiness as a mother, feelings that I have done something good in my life. She is happy and outgoing and radiates positivity. Yesterday I was touched just by looking at her. We are tired and have travelled a long way but everything is fine.I: Was offended by something?T: That’s another tough one. Was offended by something.. Maybe, yeah. Some weeks ago I was offended by what a colleague of mine wrote, not about me personally, but regarding my work, on social media. I was offended, like why? Why do you have to share personal stuff in social media, because I never do that myself. That was like that.I: When was the last time you listened to Nightwish? T: Years ago! Probably when I was still in the band. So a very long time ago, when I actually carefully listened. Many years ago.I: Thank you.T: Thanks.
innish singer Tarja Turunen says that her involvement with NIGHTWISH was "a very, very important part of [her] musical history" but insists that she has established her own audience which has passionately embraced her musical output since she was unceremoniously fired from the group nine years ago.Asked if the fact that at some of her recent solo concerts she has only played three songs from her NIGHTWISH days means that she would like to separate her past from her artistic present, Tarja told Greece's Metalpaths (hear audio below): "Actually, I play only one song [from NIGHTWISH] or [sometimes] no song [at all]."She continued: "Of course, it's a part of history — it's a very, very important part of my musical history. It brought me where I am, [and it made me] who I am today. Of course, it's a part of me, and it always will be; I don't have any problems with that. It really showed me also a totally new direction musically in my life."It's very hypothetical to think where I would be if I wouldn't have chosen to sing [on] that first demo that was offered to me. But, on the other hand, I have a life of my own."Today, as an artist, I have my own music, I am basically producing my own music, I have my own audience, which, a good part of that audience also could be fans of NIGHTWISH, or were fans of NIGHTWISH when I was there."I love music, and that is what I care for, and that is what I deliver for people."Turunen added: "In my live set, of course I play songs… Now I'm going to present my new album for you [when I come to Greece] and also play some songs from my previous albums."Having fun — that is what I base everything [on]. All my work goes to that. I want to have fun. I don't want to spend any moment of my life not feeling to have fun, [or] at least try. So that is what means to me, seriously — to see a passionate audience in front of me, an emotional audience in front of me. And that is what I care for, seriously — to make people happy with my music."Asked if she has checked out the two NIGHTWISH albums that were recorded after she was dismissed from the band and what her thoughts were on what she heard, Turunen said: "I haven't been listening to their albums. Sorry. I haven't been interested in listening to their albums. I don't know the music. I heard some songs on the radio. Like, sometimes if I was in Finland, I heard their singles or something like that on the radio, but that's all I know. I mean, I haven't been interested in looking for that."Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."Dutch singer Floor Jansen made her live debut as the frontwoman of NIGHTWISH on October 1, 2012 at Showbox Sodo in Seattle, Washington following the abrupt departure of the band's lead singer of five years, Anette Olzon.Turunen followed her most recent rock album, "Colours In The Dark", with the exclusive tour CD "Left In The Dark", which was previously only available bundled with a ticket for the "Colours In The Road Tour 2014". "Left In The Dark" was released on July 4 via earMUSIC."Colours In The Dark" charted in 12 countries, with four Top 10 entries, and was praised by the media and, more importantly, by the fans.
Seura 6.11.2014 #45â€Naomi is a daddy’s girlâ€Singer Tarja Turunen was worried about traveling with a little daughter for nothing. Now work brings the family to Finland after a while.Two-year-old Naomi often sits with her mother during make-up. She likes to arrange the eye shadows and nail polishes by color and can ask nail polish to be applied on one tiny nail.This time the girl called Namu has however stayed at the hotel to sleep.Tarja Turunen, 37, sits in the make-up artists chair and says that her daughter pays close attention on what mum does.“One time at home I found her going through my make-up case. She was applying black eye shadow on her lid. She had seen her mum do that.â€Besides the make-up routine Naomi has been accustomed to sound-checks, tour busses, backstage, hotel life and long plane trips.“My brothers intimidated me that I wouldn’t be able to tour the same way than before the baby was born.â€Everyday life has shown that the fear was for nothing. Tarja is working even more than a couple of years ago.“The difference is that now we have a daughter that comes first, not us anymore. I get a lot strength from having my family with me.â€In the future the family faces big decisions: in what country will Naomi start school? How will touring be done then? Will home still be in Buenos Aires Argentina? ON BOARD “Yippee†is the daughter’s most common response when her parents tell about an upcoming trip.Some trips have included mishaps too. At the end of the summer Tarja did a tour lasting almost a month in Russia. Concerts spanned from Moscow to Vladivostok.The time difference to Buenos Aires grew to 13 hours city by city. This mixed up Naomi’s sleeping rhythm.“She was sleeping during the day and awake at night. On the way home we stopped in Italy so that returning wouldn’t be so tough. With Naomi we try to make travelling as stress-free as possible.â€On trips she spends her time with her father Marcelo Cabuli when Tarja is on stage. On rock tours the family travels with a nanny which allows the parents to deal with all concert related work duties.“Without a nanny I wouldn’t have time to take care of my physical shape. Without that you can’t do a two-hour rock show.†MOTHER’S LEGACY When Tarja Turunen returns home to Buenos Aires, the first thing she does is pick up a rag and cleans. Only when the home in spotless she can relax on the sofa.The drive for cleaning she has gotten from her mother.“When I was younger I wondered how after a day at work she still has the energy to vacuum. Now I do the exact same thing.â€Naomi never met her grandmother, who died of cancer on 2003. Tarja not only lost a mother but also a dear friend. Mother and daughter were like two peas in a pod.“I hope to have a same kind of relationship with Naomiâ€, Tarja says.“At the moment Naomi is still a daddy’s girl. There are things only daddy is good for. Compared to my own childhood Marcelo spends more time with his daughter than my own father did.â€Tarja is a little sorry Naomi doesn’t regularly have her own aged company to play with.Naomi is growing up to become very determined. She knows what she wants, when and why.“She’s a little precocious. Playing with adults so much has surely played some part in that. Playing misses a child’s spontaneity.†SPRING IN FINLAND Shooting for ‘The Voice of Finland’ started in October and next spring the live broadcasts bring the family to Finland frequently.Tarja hopes the family gets an apartment in Turku instead of a hotel room. In that case they could live a normal everyday life.Tarja rejoices that Naomi gets to hear Finnish everywhere and not just from mum and Moomin-movies. Tarja’s family is also in Finland: father and two brothers with their families.A lot of good reasons to consider returning.“Now it feels like I wouldn’t want to come back. I of course miss my family, calmness, safety and space from Finland but on the other hand I do not miss the darkness, slush and snow. The light in Buenos Aires is really important to me. My heart is there now.†MADE IN FINLAND Buenos Aires started to feel like a home to Tarja at the latest during her pregnancy, when she learned to speak Spanish. Now Marcelo and Tarja speak Spanish to each other, but Naomi’s first language is Finnish. She also understands Spanish.“It is important to me that Naomi speaks Finnish. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to communicate with my dad for example. I want Naomi to know both of her home countries. She is after all made in Finland, since I got pregnant during a Christmas tour in Finland.â€It won’t be many years before Naomi starts school.Tarja admits that the parents have already thought how Naomi’s school will change the family’s life.Tarja will probably start doing shorter tours and travel mostly alone. Marcelo will stay home with the girl.Since mom has to come back home often, it may be that the family’s place of residence will have to be re-thought.“We have a home now in Buenos Aires, but Marcelo is also a citizen of Spain and Naomi has a double-citizenship to Argentina and Finland. If we came back to Europe, we’d probably move to Spain for the languageâ€, Tarja says.She has decided not to stress about the matter too much yet. FIRING WAS A BLESSING Tarja has learned to trust life’s fortune during her career.Music was Tarja’s hobby since the age of six and as a teenager she asked to take singing lessons. Her skills weren’t enough to sing the soul-songs she preferred. However Kitee only had a classical singing teacher, who took her voice to whole other direction.The 1996 started Nightwish was first supposed to be a project by a group of friends, which was supposed to stay as a hobby. Things went differently.After nine years in the band came the famous firing. Has Tarja forgiven the band?“I will never understand how the matter was handled. That has nothing to do with forgiving. I have handled it and won’t go back to it again. Things with me are better than ever. I think now, that leaving the band was a blessing.â€According to Tarja, a solo career has offered the chance to do anything: classical singing, rock and everything in between. She also collaborated with Nightwish’s new singer, the Dutch Floor Jansen. The women are longtime friends.Could this mean that collaboration with Nightwish is possible?“I will never work with Nightwish again. Ever. But with Floor, why notâ€, Tarja says sharply. EXPERIENCE FROM AUDITIONS The Voice of Finland isn’t the first TV-program Tarja has been asked to take part in. It is however the only she has agreed to. Why?“This is an actually encouraging format. I can see myself in the people applying for the show.â€In 2002 Tarja was the singer for internationally famous Nightwish. That didn’t however give any extra points when applying for Karlsruhe’s music university in Germany.In the entrance examination Tarja found her name last on the list.Singers before her came in front of the jury on their turn. Through the door you could everyone singing one opera aria and one German lied.With Tarja the jury wanted to hear one lied, then another after that and then even a third one.“That really threw me off my game. I didn’t know whether it went good of bad. I only found out a month later when the acceptance letter came homeâ€, Tarja tells.Singing technique is one of the things she want to help as a coach.“Out of the four coaches I have the most knowledge of the technique of singing. But even with my classical background I didn’t stick to one genre of music.â€NUMBER OF CHILDREN IS FULL Tarja’s calendar is booked long into the future. The ninth Christmas tour lies ahead next.What if the urge to have another baby rises?“It would be pretty impossible to have another child in this hassle. I would love for Naomi to have someone to play with, but this kind of life wouldn’t be possible with a big family. Just the amount of stuff would be enormous.â€Tarja is straightforward in saying that she doesn’t want to cut back on her work.“I would be really sad and cynical if I had to cut down music. It’s a passion that the body and mind demand.â€
