TARJA TURUNEN emphasizes feeling and beauty in music

Marja Jähi-Salo from Amusa.fi did a short interview with Tarja Turunen after her show in Mäntyharju, Finland on August 30, 2009. The interview follows below.

Tarja Turunen emphasizes feeling and beauty in music

- I hope I never see the day, that I can't feel my music, that I was a "dead" singer.

- Independent and stubborn, Tarja Turunen answers the question how is it to do your own artistic work. It's great to plan your own life and repertoire, she says happily. The tensions aren't there anymore and you can do your own work with your group. She says that she's also thankful for being healthy.

Tarja Turunen's life is filled with work, the future 20 concert tour starting from Holland soon is a sign of this. For a month she'll tour many European countries. In Finland she performed August 30th at Mäntyharju's church. The next time you can see her in Finland at a Halloween concert at Tampere and a few months later a Christmas tour lies ahead. Turunen has an international group of musicians, a rock band, that has two players for one instrument. The musicians are American, Finnish and also one from Germany. Styles vary from metal, rock and funk to classic. The technical staff if mostly Finnish.

Melting different styled together while composing

A new album is under way which is especially exiting for Turunen. For the first time she has composed new material herself and mentiones she's nervous. It has given a good feeling and demanded being in silence. She has wanted to test her own limits and applied her own area, crossover-thinking. The album comes out next year.

Turunen tells different music styles melt together with her in a way. The result is heavy and film music for example. She emphasizes beauty in music, which she likes and wants to produce. With the previous album she was involved with composing and writing lyrics. Then the album had one of her own song, a slow ballad. She likes composing beautiful film music and is doing the score for a Polish film. At the moment the production has been delayed because of the financial situation so the end result can't yet be heard or seen.

Intrest to Finland - flags swing

Tarja Turunen has been the ambassador of Finnish music for years and that's also how she sees herself. According to her there's a lot of intrest to Finland. She says she sees Finnish flags in her concerts, eventhough there aren't any Finns present. They are seen more as a symbol of the music, heavy. Suprisingly there's intrest to learn the Finnish language. For example the Argentinean embassy can't find enough teachers for Finnish lessons. The will to learn has also been seen in other countries. Besides the music Finland is known for Santa Claus, motosport drivers, Nokia and Tarja Halonen.

Finland and Argentina are different homelands

Certain norms apply on all fields of art according to Turunen. Many go where the fence is the lowest. You have to be humble and believe in your own art, do it well and with emotion so that the message gets across to the listener as well. Turunen emphasizes the importance of emotion in an artists profession and making music.
- I hope I never see the day, that I can't feel my music, that I was a "dead" singer. Immediacy and humility come across to the listener, she says.

The journey from Kitee to the world sounds like a long one. The burning to get away was however severe already at the age of 15. The art high school in Savonlinna was the first step. Tarja Turunen tells she was the only girl in her family and had to manage with her brothers so going out in the world didn't seem that scary. Sibelius Academy followed after Savonlinna. The town of Puhos in Kitee with 500 inhabitants was a safe environment to grow. Going to Kitee is always a special and sensitive place for her. There are relatives and deceaseds, who she remembers always when going to the graves. Most of the year is spent somewhere else than Finland to the possibility to go back to old home comes seldom.

Argentina has been a home for over ten years. The lifestyle has opened more after learning the language. The vividness of life grabbed her along and the unpredictability charms. You never know how the day will end.
- You don't plan a day the same you would in Finland, where things are done according to plan which makes the day predictable. It of course gives assurity, which I have also learned to appreciate.

Credit for English translation goes to Anne