Tarja dla Rock Hard 2004

Patty

While Tarja’s Bandmates are sitting together with beer and cheap porn magazines, the cultivated 27 year old woman is searching for peace in her own dressing room. Although she is very open-minded, you can tell from her face that all the fuss about her person is getting a bit too much for her. In the middle of all those promo activities with mostly the same questions, the Rock Hard “Talk Box” is a most welcome change for her, so she’s answering all the questions extraordinary friendly and frankly.

Tarja, where did you grow up?
I grew up in a little village called Puhos; not more than 400 people live there. As you can imagine, it’s very rural there. The seclusion I expirienced there left it’s stamp on me because even today I like it quiet. To go to school, I had to drive to the nearest town which had 10 000 citizens, that’s not really a capital either. So I’m a country girl through and through.

Where would you like to live?
I’m not stuck to a certain county or town. I can live very well in many places. The most important thing is that it’s far away from the hectic atmosphere that big metropolis’ have. But I don’t want to give up the comforts of civilization and make a daily trip just to buy some bread. A small town that offers me everything I need, but can give me the opportunity to withdraw and live my life in peace is my ideal.
I have that idyll in my finnish home. But I also live in Buenos Aires because of my husband, an Argentine I married one and a half years ago. We have an apartment in the centre of the city there. That’s quite a contrast.

So you speak Spanish then?
Yes, I’m learning this language for quite some time now and I’m getting better and better. I can’t express myself a hundret percent but meanwhile I can understand everything. Because of that I really feel at home in Argentina. In spite of my dark hair everybody knows I’m a foreigner – must be my green eyes which are rare there. Unfortunately, most of the guys in our neighbourhood are not very well-bred and tease me in a very unpleasant way. They whistle, drive next to me in their cars and sound their horns or are obtrusive in some other ways. Even if it’s not my habit, I must become abusive to be left alone (laughs).

In which epoch would you like to live if you could travel with a time machine?
In the last century.

The 20th?
No, in the 19th of course. I should get used to the fact that we’re living in the 21st century now. (laughs)

From your point of view: What’ the most important invention of mankind?
Definitely the cellphone! Especially in my profession, when you’re on the road all the time, it’s priceless to be available all the time so you can be in contact with your loved ones.

What’s the worst job you ever had?
I’ve been working on a ship for three months. On it’s route, it went through different channels (or canals?) and floodgates. I had to jump from one side to another to fix it to the landing place. That was quite dangerous. But the main problem was another one: It was a typical “male job” so I had only male colleagues. So of course there were stupid sayings all the time. Either they wanted to play the strong protector and keep me away from my work with a “Macho”- attitude or they tried to make it up to me. The captain was a real nasty person and he grabbed my butt all the time. On my last work day I had my revenge and kicked him in his crown jewels.

What’s the weirdest rumour you ever heard about yourself?
That I am the woman with the most Sex-Appeal in Metal. Such nonsense! I still feel like the country girl I still am and I have nothing to do with those images constructed by the media.

What’s the most important thing in your life?
My family. Not having them around me all the time is the greatest sacrifice I make for Nightwish.

What does money mean to you?
It’s good to have some so you don’t have to worry about essential things like buying groceries. Although I love luxury – like almost every woman and every leo – I don’t pay that much attention to money.

Are you a good cook?
(pretending outraged) Well, you can guess – like every other girl from the country I’m a great cook! Especially my chicken is delicious. And a good red wine with that! I can cook chinese food as well. But I can’t cook Italian. Because wheat is indigestible for me, I’m not allowed to eat things like Pizza. The same goes for sugar. That’s tough because you’re not allowed to eat candy. But well, on the other hand I don’t have to do separate diets because of this.

Would you ever strip for Playboy?
Never!

Some Fans might be disappointed now.
Poor guys! I feel for them.

With whom would you like to be stuck in an elevator for a weekend?
With Leif Segerstram. He’s a finnish composer and conductor I admire very much. He’s very visionary and he’s leading classical music in the modern time. Without any problems, I could discuss music with him for a weekend.

Is there anybody you wouldn’t like to meet in the same situation?
Yes, that ship’s Captain I was talking about. I guess he would try to touch me all the time. If I had to defend myself for a whole weekend with so little space, it would be tough, I guess.
Another candidate would be my old school director. I hate him from the bottom of my heart.

What are your favourite books and favourite writers?
Although they might be too trivial for some people, I love books by John Grisham. I can lose myself completely in those stories and relax. I’m reading a lot to improve my english and spanish skills and I prefer authors who write in their native language. Often a lot of the style gets lost in translations. From finnish authors, I especially like Mika Waltari.

What’s your favourite movie?“
Gladiator”. I love Russell Crowe and I appreciate the work of the director Ridley Scott.

Could you live without a TV?
Yes, I’d have no problems with that. Maybe I would miss the news but then I’d have to read more newspapers.

What would you do if you were invisible for one day?
Even if the answer sounds boring – I’d just go shopping and nobody would notice.Since Nightwish is so successful, this is impossible in Finland because people talk to me all the time. The Band is not only in the TV, but all the tabloids gossip about us, so we’re public persons and we’re recognized everywhere. Not only by Metal Fans, even from the housewife next door.
A lot of people think they know you and tell you a lot of things. Mostly, I don’t know what to answer because they are strangers to me. I’m happy about it because most people are really nice but at a certain point it’s getting too much for me. I can’t get anything done when people are coming to me all the time when I’m in town and it takes me 2 hours to get from one store to another. At the 10th time I start to feel uncomfortable and I wish to be unknown. I hope your readers can understand what I’m trying to say and how I mean it – not in an arrogant way.

What would you have become if you weren’t a musician?
A tough question. There was a singer in me since I was little. I used to sing at family celebrations when I was three and I loved it to stand in the focus of attention. The only thing that I am interested in besides music, is acting – but in Theatres and not in front of a camera because I need the immediate contact with the audience.

Can you remember your first performance?
I certainly do because it was the first time I wore leather clothes. I thought I had to do this as a singer in a metal band. Because of this outfit I had a big fight with my mother because she didn’t like it at all. Now I can say she was right; I looked pretty ridiculous. It was a disguise that didn’t fit me. So I felt uncomfortable on stage.

When and where was your worst performance?
The first gig was the worst. I learned from that and since that day I just wore clothes that represent my style.

Are your parents proud of you?
Oh yes! They’re very understanding and supported me for all those years. They are one part of my success. And of course they are proud that their daughter is a national celebrity.

Is there a style of music you don’t like?
Honestly, I’m no big Fan of Death- and Black metal because I don’t like the vocals at all. Don’t get me wrong. I respect those shouters; I never could…uhm…sing like that but I can’t stand those grunts and screaming.

Do you like to go to concerts of other bands?
I’d like to, but I just can’t do it because I ‘d need 4 bodyguards for that. Otherwise I couldn’t see anything of the concert and had to talk to fans all the time. Such great crowds scare me a bit.Maybe I should get a disguise for visiting concerts, to be unrecognized: blonde wig, coloured contact lenses and hood.

Good idea! But maybe you’ll get confused with Doro Pesch.