Interviews

:: Part I ::

1) What did you think about the Christmas Concerts Tour in the end of 2005? Were you expecting so much people, so much success? How was the reaction of the public hearing you singing Xmas songs just by your own?

It was a great pleasure for me to be able to do the Christmas tour last year. I still need to admit that it was not easy after what happened in my life just few weeks before that. I needed to see myself if I was strong enough to face the audience again, but this time alone. Even though this tour was planned already long time in advance, the current situation was making me a lot of pressure. I didn't know what to expect.
Still the concerts in Finland, Germany, Spain and in Romania were all really nice success. I met many of my fans and for the first time ever, had even a chance to be with them longer and get to know them better.
As far as I know, many people heard my real voice for the first time on these concerts, ´cause they were completely acoustic. Also the program of the concerts was very different than what I was used to perform.
The reception was great everywhere and the atmosphere in the concerts was very warm. It was really a nice experience to sing Finnish Xmas songs for foreign audiences.

2) Will you record your album soon? Already have songs and lyrics?

The first recordings I will do now, are for my Xmas album “Henkays Ikuisuudesta” that is going to be released at the end of this year.
The plan is to have the first solo album ready during the year 2007. Still is too early to know the exact dates for recordings. I am at the moment working hard for the album, by searching new songs, people that are going to be part of the production etc. It will be a long lasting and very ambitious project, so I need to be patient.


3) Do you intend to compose something?

I will be probably writing some lyrics for the album, but the composing work I leave for others. I don´t feel enough brave for it at this moment. Maybe later on.

4) We could hear you singing in different languages and not just in English. What do you prefer? And in what language you think you will use in your album?

I will be singing in English on my album. If there is a part in a song that requires a different language, well...I am very open to do what ever. I would love to be able to speak tens of languages, but the problem is that I just don´t have time to learn!!!!!!! In my concerts anyway, you will hear me singing many of them.

5) How about the "Noche Escandinava"? Will we have the chance to see Tarja and friends singing together once more around the world? ;)

We don´t have any concrete plans for it, but I am sure I will be doing something under that name in the future. If I can not get the same people with me, then I will create a new group of people. It was just so great experience that I would like to share it with my friends once again.

6) Do you think about singing with a band again? Or will you continue singing just by yourself?

I will need a band for me in the near future. The plan is to have a solo career, but of course I will need a band for the recordings and hopefully the same people with me on tours.

7) What's the bigger difference when you are singing with a band and singing alone? How about the audience?

If I am singing acoustic music that means I am not using any microphones or PA. To sing with a microphone is always different than to sing without one. I can play more with my voice and delays with a microphone than in a acoustic concert that the most concern is that every listener can hear what I am singing.
Is also a big difference to sing in a church than to have a concert in a concert hall. If I am performing in a church, the program needs to be well thought for religious reasons.

8) Which song would like to sing, to make a new version?

The songs I sing are different according to the concert I am performing.
I recently took part in a Musical in Helsinki and there I performed Bee Gee’s Tragedy and Beatles “Here, there and everywhere”.
These songs were the right choice in this case, but probably won’t fit in a Organ concert in a Church.
Of course the songs might change, but are always songs that I like.
I haven’t been thinking of a cover yet. Might be that we will try something for the solo album, but is still to early to know.


9) What do you know about our music? (Brazilian) You know you are loved by your brazilian fans. Would you think about recording some brazilian song? In portuguese?

I know only some heavy metal bands, like Sepultura and Angra. I always like so much when the bands are bringing some of their country's musical culture in their music. With this I mean local instruments, local sounds and rhythms. That makes them original and different.

Well, I don´t have anything against recording a Brazilian song, but my only concern is to get it correctly pronounced... Tshiih.....I have many Brazilian friends and all of them are speaking with a different accent. That would be a great challenge for me to be able to sing a song in Portuguese.
Why not!!!!!

10) Now our last and most important question: When will you come back to Brazil?? How about Portugal? Your Portuguese fans are waiting for you there...! ;)

I WOULD LOVE TO COME ALREADY NOW!!!!!!! I promise to visit Brazil and Portugal with my solo album tour. I want to !!!!!!!!!
I have read in my webpage’s forum that many people are sad because I won’t go to perform in their country with my Xmas tour next December.
It will be just a tour for Finland, because the album will be available only there. At the last minute we received a very nice proposal to perform in Russia. I have been willing to return there for a long time and this just happened to be the perfect time to do it.

The situation will be anyway very different with my solo albums.
I will do my best to be able to see my fans again in Brazil and Portugal.


End of the part I.

:: Part II ::

1) Do you have pets?

No, but I have been telling to Marcelo millions of times already that I would love to. Anyway I know that to keep a pet is something that requires a lot of work and time, which I don´t have at the moment. Hopefully one day I can have a small dog.

2) Did you like to being an actress?? (you were very good in Studio Impossible and Paaroolissa!! ;)) Are you thinking about this career too?

I really like to act. I have always been following the theatre life in Finland and also abroad by visiting musicals or plays. It is very interesting to be on the stage and tell a story without singing. You need to concentrate differently in the story. I would like to have a chance to act one day somewhere. Who knows where. Just to have an experience.

3) Are you a superstitious person? What do you think about religions?

I am not really a superstitious person. I don´t even read horoscopes.
I believe in God. Anyway, there isn’t a religion that I follow.

4) What was your most funny situation on stage?

I don´t know if I can call this funny for me, but for the audience it definitely was something VERY funny.
I was singing with Nightwish in England 2004 and at the end of the show the zip from my pants got totally broken. I didn´t have a black underwear, so everybody could see my nice yellow underwear under the black pants....anyway I think I acted very fast, run out of the stage to the back stage room and founded a black tape to cover my pants. The guys continued playing and I got back to the stage for the next and last song.
I performed the last song with a towel in my hand, trying to cover my pants. The band didn´t know what has happened before they saw it just after the concert and laughed a big time. It was very embarrassing...

5) What do you think about kids?? Already thought about being mom? =)

I love kids. I think honestly, I could be a great mother. Only concern is that the mother should have time for her kids and I don´t have that time yet. I hope that time will come in the future. I am not in a hurry and the clock is not ticking, so I will wait until the time is right.

6) If you could be another person, who would you like to be?

I really don’t want to be another person.


7) We all know Tarja being a serious and classic woman. Were you "rebel" when you were a teenage girl?

I have talked with my mom about my teenage time and she always told me that I was not a hard kid.
I never really had any problems with my parents. I still recall having those moments of pain and suffer when my parents didn´t let me go our with my friends in the middle of the night or spend weekends in their summer cottages when I was 14.
Now it seems obvious, but then I remember it hurt a lot.
I have anyway always thought my mother was the greatest mom I could have and she knew what she was doing. I was using some awful clothes when I was 15-18 years old and I was studying in a high school. I wore always long and colourful skirts, scarf's in my head and kind of hippie clothing.

8) Did you have nicknames?? By the way, what's the meaning of your name - "Tarja"?

Tarja doesn't really mean anything. It is a very old Finnish name, without a meaning. My family and some friends are calling me Taape. I think that's my only nickname.

9) If you were found the "magic lamp", what would be your 3 wishes?

Healthy and long life for my family and friends, love for the rest of my life, peace in the world.

10) Tell us something that you never told anyone.

Marcelo knows more or less everything about me. He tells for me many times that if the people would really know how crazy I am sometimes...
For example, I need to have tens of hugs and kisses every day otherwise my day is not complete.