Iltalehti 03/11/06 - artykuł o Tarji

Patty

A year without Nightwish has made Tarja Turunen a stronger and more sensitive person - but her image stays the same.

"I outdid myself and my fears"

Tarja Turunen has a different kind of year behind her. A free year according to her own words.
- I feel really good right now. I have been able to do things I haven't had time before and I have learned to understand my own abilities better. And of course I have grown a lot during this year.
- It feels like a have finally outdone myself and my previous, nonexistent fears.
The soprano wandering on her house's lawn at Kuusankoski points a river that flows a few dozen metres away.
- I love this place. My home is here. The river is so beautiful and such a shoothing element, the star soprano sighs.
Turunen says that she's finally standing on her own two feet as a musician and as a person.
- Earlier I was more insecure and was easily affended by things. If before I looked confidence and understanding to what I am around me, during this year what I am and what I want has became clear. I have gotten more self-confidence and assurance. I'm not so naive anymore.
- I have also become more sensitive. I'm more intense in different feelings.

The singer's life changed in a moment a year ago. Nightwish, one of Finland's most successful bands, ended it's one and a half years long world tour on Hartwall Arena in Helsinki and after the consert the rest of the band gave the vocalist a letter which she was fired with.
- My life stopped then, but it's nice to notice afterwards that now I can enjoy small positive things more than I could before. Before I was always too busy.
- It's not always so easy to listen to yourself. When the environment piles pressure on you, you unfortenately think too little about yourself. It's a wierd thing, that a person has to take in blows to understand herself better.

Turunen thinks that the firing fuss took on ridiculous measures in public and inside her own head.
- I went through a big life change but more tragic things can happen. I wasn't born to be Nightwish's singer I was born to be Tarja Turunen. After all it was just a change of work place, Turunen laughs.
In the end it was the huge media fuss that took more of her strenght than the firing itself.
- I just had to live through it. My love for singing has never stopped. It's the strenght that keeps me going.

During the year Turunen has had the chance to finally consontrate on classical music and her solo projects. Turunen doesn't mind that she is still considered as a heavy soprano or metal angel. The remains of her Nightwish days aren't a burden to her. On the contrary.
- Of course a try to maintain the image people have of me. The Tarja people are used to seeing will be there to some extent. It would feel terrific to do sudden, radical changes.
- Though my music style will change. I won't make a heavy album but I will keep elements from it.

Even though Tuomas Holopainen and the other band members criticizes their former vocalist with harsh words, Tarja never had the need to show people what she's really like. The past is the past and Turunen has buried her hatchet even if she hasn't had contact with the other members.
- I'm really happy to stand here as myself, as Tarja.
Nightwish years still come back to Tarja as good and dear memories.
- Nine years is a long time. I got to see a lot and I'm thankful for it. Without Nightwish I wouldn't be talking to you or in general in this situation. I can do my own solo career and stand on my own two feet.
- In Nightwish I have experienced a lot that many female singers never get to experience. The work I have done as myself.

Turunen says that she has learned something new about herself.
- What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. The phrase is so correct. Now I trust myself and my feelings much more than before. I'm not afraid to say what I think anymore, but I'm also more sensitive.
- The biggest strenght has to come from inside, but of course I needed support from the people close to me. Life goes on despite the hardship.

A Christmas album for the Finns as a thank you

Next year Finland's internationally best known female singer has a chance to show to the world as well that she's a lot more than Nightwish's former vocalist. Tarja Turunen returns after a year's brake to heavier music when the first solo album aimed to world wide distribution is published. A deal is made with German Universal Music record company.
- The album will have elements from heavy but a classical trace will stay there because of the symphony orchestra for example, the singer reveals.
She however adds that it won't be a heavy metal album. The work on the album is already started but Turunen doesn't know the accurate release date yet.

When she talks about music Tarja is in her element. Hands wag and she consontrates when she's asked to describe her new style.
- For the first time I get to do music that looks like me. It's a mix of toughness and softness. Tarja describes herself as a typical leo personality.
- I like to perform and I have that sort of harshness that doesn't really show in everyday life but in musical preferences. Music has to touch you. Either it is in all it's quitness and beauty in a really small atmosphere or in a really hard metal sound and the hard guitars make your hairs stick out.

- I'm a real perfectionist. I have to do a lot of work for the result to please me. At times it feel frightening to think how much I have violated myself.
Turunen doesn't even want to think about the success of the coming solo album yet.
- I'm so hard headed that I won't believe in anything until it really happens.
Before the world's conquest trip Turunen consontrates on Christmas. A fresh chistmas album Henkäys Ikuisuudesta is released next week and after that a christmas tour in Finland follows.
- I wanted to make an album, which I'd like to hear on Christmas. The album has a few completely classical songs, international christmas songs and well-known traditional finnish carols.
- Although the album is a unique project for me, doing it has taught me a lot - and my way to thank Finns for years of support. Turunen's first consert is on Monday in Espoo.
- This Unicef-consert isn't a part of my christmas tour. It's done as a collaboration with Unicef and Tapiola-choir and the musical offering in the consert is quite different than on the christmas tour.
- I have hoped for a long time to be able to help the poor children in my other home country, Argentina. Though my possibilites to help are small when you consider how big the problem is.