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I: You are listening to "Noticiero de las Pampas" and we have someone here, who we can say is a part of the Argentinean but also international movement. We are here with Tarja Turunen. Hello.
Tarja: Hello, how are you?
I: Very well, fantastic. Some are surprized that the Finnish singer, who is very known from Nightwish, and also very successful with her solo career at the moment, speaks Spanish so well, but it really is like that.
Tarja: [laughs]
I: You are a bit afraid of talking Spanish..
Tarja: Yes... No...
I: ... but it's without a reason.
Tarja: Yes, I can talk a little bit. [laughs]
I: It's enough. Why did you want to take an interview in Spanish?
Tarja: First of all for me.
I: Ok, let's start by explaining the people a bit why it is that you spend so much time in Argentina.
Tarja: Yes, my husband is Argentinian, and I have been here a lot in the last eight, nine years and I like Argentina, I like the people, the food, everything. I really like it. I am more free here than in my country, Finland.
I: Really? Do you feel better here?
Tarja: Yes, I do. I feel really well.
I: You are not here all the time, but also in other places, right?
Tarja: Yes, I travel and work a lot, all the time, with my husband, we work together but we always travel a lot, but I feel that my place is also in Argentina.
I: Did you think, eight-nine years ago that this would happen one day?
Tarja: No, never. [laughs]
I: On the first tour with Nightwish in Argentina we saw Tarja and we never dreamed that you will have this kind of relashionship with this country. What happened then?
Tarja: We did the record at 4 in the morning, very late and I was dead. Dead, dead. Very tired. But I remember it.
I: Of course. And in the same day you were tired we forced you to take pictures for "Mesa de Vijano".
Tarja: [laughs] Yes, I remember that too.
I: Yes, and you were tired and we were taking pictures... How was it?
Tarja: Ok.
I: Ok?
Tarja: Yes, that's life. You never know.
I: There is a concert in Argentina soon, which is very important.
Tarja: Yes, in May.
I: In May.
Tarja: Yes.
I: And what's the difference between these concerts and the ones from last year?
Tarja: I do tours all the time, from my album "My Winter Storm". But these concerts will have some special songs, and in general, I want to have a more closer relashionship with the audience. And that's why there will be a concert in "Las Trastiendas"...
I: "La Trastienda".
Tarja: Yes. And it's a very small hall. That's why... For me it's very important.. something very special that I... My... my... my Spanish is... BAD!
I: No, no, calm down, it's very good, I...
Tarja: YES! If you understand... ! [laughs]
I: No, no, I understand. So the concerts will be more closer to the audience and will have some songs from your new album.
Tarja: Yes. NO! Not from this CD. Not yet. I am composing music, I am composing the lyrics and the songs for the new CD at the moment. But we will record it in the end of this year.
I: Aha, ok. And how do you feel, because in the last interview we talked about your split with Nightwish, how do you feel composing music and doing everything by yourself for your solo career?
Tarja: Uh..
I: My questions are not easy, they are in Spanish but not easy.
Tarja: No, it's not that easy for me to explain in Spanish, it's a new thing in my life, composing songs is very new for me. I never did this before with Nightwish. That's why I am really happy to have the possibility to do this. It's like.. It's a... force, a new force...
I: An impulse.
Tarja: An impulse, yes. And it should be so much easier for me to explain this in English. [laughs]
I: It's a lot easier for you to explain in English.
Tarja: Yes. That I'm very happy because things like that I need to have a strength, I need to have a corazon [heart] I need to have a.. I need to be brave enough to show my music for the people.
I: And this strength, this heart, this courage is to prove to the people for the first time. Some time ago, in Barcelona, we met and saw a very special Christmas concert. You did most of all classical songs, but also some songs that appeared on your first CD.
Tarja: Yes, the Christmas album. Not my debut album, just a Christmas CD.
I: For me it was really good, I was very chilled...
Tarja: Yes, like now. [laughs]
I: Like now.
Tarja: What happened? [laughs]
I: No, it was more special than another bands' CDs, it was something very rare and I think the audience received it very well. Do you have any intentions to do this kind of thing again?
Tarja: Yes, of course. I want to have these possibilities again in my future, I will have concerts in Finland and Europe of just classical music. This year. We are preparing a tour with an Argentinean tenor, but an actual tenor..
I: An actual tenor.. Is it secret or can you say who he is?
Tarja: Mmmmm.. it's like.. it's not sure yet...
I: A, ok, ok.
Tarja: It's not certain yet. But yes, I will have more classical concerts and with orchestras, or a pianist. I like these things.
I: Good. I have a certain question about My Winter Storm. How did you manage to record the Alice Cooper cover?
Tarja: Well... I like Alice Cooper. I am not a big fan, but...
I: And it's certain he doesn't have a voice like yours..
Tarja: No, more or less. The truth is that... Again. I was looking for a cover long time and it was really a problem because I really wanted to have one song covered. And Alice Cooper, at that time, in Finland, they were playing it a lot in rock radios, his songs. I don't know why, of course, he is a legend, and his song "Poison" of course I was just having like a joke, I was brainstorming, thinking ok how this song could be sang by me or productionwise... and how different the song should be sang by me and the production I would like to have for the song. So it was fun, to do that, it was really fun, and a pain in the ass in the studio, a lot of pain, with the band especially. They really didn't like the idea of making the song, they couldn't get away from the sound of 80's that easily, and that was, I needed to kick their asses a lot, in the studio, to say "this is gonna be fantastic, go for it, don't be shy. No, they didn't like that, how to make it sound like the rest of the album. They couldn't find a way easily.
I: Ok, let's translate. [translates in Spanish]
Tarja: So, but we finally managed to do it, I'm very happy with the song, of course it's quite different, but still respecting the original.
I: [translates in Spanish]
I: Ok, and with respect for what comes next. The same music, the same musicians, or the idea of the musicians you used last year.
Tarja: Yes. I like working with the same musicians. It could be possible that I will also have other musicians. Depends what the songs need. I feel that what I am composing now, how it will sound on the album, in general, and I will need to have musicians for that. It's like.. It's not like ok, I want to work only with these musicians. It;s like.. how to say.. what the song needs.
I: Did you ever think of having a stable band? So that "Tarja" is a band..
Tarja: How I feel now I do have a band with me, that supports me, very good people. They are very quiet, they are very nice and I'm very happy about them. But, music is like a big picture. It's a big picture of an art, and I want, if I have the sound in my head, I want to have that. I want in the end to reach that point. So, then, this is an open game. Everybody has understood that yes, I want to work with these guys, I love them all, I'm very happy with them, but ok, let's see what the future brings and everybody is aware of what's going on.
I: [translates]
At a moment, you were part of Nightwish and your popularity was huge. Most of all, in Finland, and you met very important people in your country.
Tarja: Yes, the president.
I: The president. You were very known because Nightwish did something very important. But in your country there was something were particular. How is it today? Has anything changed since the Nightwish split? I don't mean because you broke up with them, I mean that now you spend less time in Finland.
Tarja: Yes, I spend less time there and the people are very interested in what I do, and I still do things in Finland but not that much, I don't want to talk about things.. privacy? Yes, things like that I don't like. [laughs]
I: Yes, you get a lot of questions like that.
Tarja: Yes, because I am a very known person in Finland, and people are always like "Will you have babies?", "When?", "How many?" [laughs] No, ok. But it's ok. It's like that in Finland but it didn't change a lot. I have TV interviews, I do things with private companies (?), and everything. It's good.
I: And the shows, when you return there, are they especially emotional or just one more show?
Tarja: No. I do more classical concert in Finland now than rock concerts. I don't know why. It's a good question, but I don't know why it is like this, but I do a lot more classical music there.
I: Ok, so more than in the rest of the world.
Tarja: Yes.
I: And I have to ask, how is the relashionship the members of Nightwish?
Tarja: There is no relashionship.
I: They say that time heals scars, but so far nothing. Sure.
It amazed me to see how, even though the band said a lot of bad things about you, you kept your impressive attitude. I, for example, would have told them a lot of things that moment, but it wasn't like that in your case, you were a real lady.
Tarja: But, what can I do? [laughs]
I: No, no, it's not much you can do, that's true.
Tarja: No, I'm not interested in things like this. To talk about this in public. There were things happening since a lot of years inside the band. And now I'm not interested in what they do or say [about me].
I: It's a pity, because Nightwish could meet in various place, for example in Argentina, last year. Let's change the subject and talk about the title of your new album.
Tarja: Yes. What Lies Beneath.
I: What Lies Beneath. Aha. Is it a conceptional album or not?
Tarja: It's not a conceptional album, but it has a red line, that connects all the songs. It's called What Lies Beneath and all songs have something to do with the title. What lies beneath in us, what lies beneath in all the actions people are doing, that there is always something more behind the words, that are not in the surface, I mean that there are also songs about water. There are songs about me diving, my love for underwater world, what lies beneath under the surface. So What Lies Beneath is a big picture, you can understand that in many ways.
I: I didn't know you like diving.
Tarja: Yes, I enjoy diving, I have been doing this with my husband since many years and we are crazy about it.
I: In which places did you dive?
Tarja: In Venezuela, in Antigua, Thailand, Egypt, in Spain, in Argentina here, in cold water.
I: In Spain also..
Tarja: In Ibiza.
I: What do you like, the feeling of diving...?
Tarja: Yes, the feeling of diving. The feeling that I can leave everything aside.. all pain, everything I think about, all problems I have, I can leave them all out of my head. When I am under the water, everything is good. And the world there is so different, the colors...
I: And would you like to put some of these feelings or these concepts on the cover of CD?
Tarja: It can be.
I: Aha, interesting. What about some songs containing these feelings?
Tarja: Yes, yes. We already recorded some demos.
I: Oh, come on, I can'r be original at all! I thought that.. [laughs]
Tarja: No, no.
I: What genre will What Lies Beneath be?
Tarja: Ok, In English. [laughs] With My Winter Storm I was not 100% happy with the sound of the guitars. If there are guitars, they have to be very heavy. If there is a huge orchestra, there will be no guitars.
I: I understand.
Tarja: So, because those two elements are eating the sound, they are eating the possibilities of mixing the album bombastic. Having a big sound. The orchestra is so big, it has many instruments and the sound of it I want to have as clearly as possible. As in the soundtracks.
I: So the two instruments eat eachother's sounds.
Tarja: And the voice too.
I: So does the voice. So in order to have a bombastic sound like you said...
Tarja: And clear.
I: The point is that the orchestra sounds very good as an orchestra and the guitars sound good in metal, rock.. That's it, right?
Tarja: Yes.
I: Is this what you're trying to do on the next album?
Tarja: Yes.
I: And about the combination?
Tarja: I am composing new songs for the album, I have some really heavy songs and some quiet songs, combined with film music.
I: Yes. You like sountracks a lot. Perfect.
How was the people's reaction to your solo career?
Tarja: It's very interesting because there are many older people, many younger people, there is not such a stereotype of a Tarja fan today. So when I make concerts, there are many heavy metal people, rock audience, and also lovers of classical music. And then I am very happy to be able to make music that is making so many people interested of. So I am very happy about the results.
I: Is it like you had imagined?
Tarja: I don't know what I had imagined. [laughs] I don't know what I really was thinking, it's the beginning of my career, so of course I was having high hopes for things but you know, there are always more surprises than you really can think in advance.
I: So there were some positive surprises, but eventually the result satisfied you.
Tarja: Yes. Very good.
I: [talks about the city] ... I managed to extend my knowledge of the Finnish language.
Tarja: Huh?
I: Yes, because the first words in Finnish I heard were yours.
Tarja: Really?
I. Yes. "Minä rakastan sinua."
Tarja: I didn't know.
I: You are here talking in Spanish (or mostly in Spanish) and a few years ago, on the ABC program I asked you to say some words in Finnish, I didn't know any Finnish word then.
Tarja: Incredible.
I: I would like it if you would say something in Finnish like "see you soon, bye" and then explain what you said. A freeting for the Spanish people, a greeting for the Argentinean people.. you know.
Tarja: Hello, my lovely Spanish friends, I miss you a lot, I hope to see you at my concert in Zaragoza soon, and my Argentinean friends, I'm not missing you too much because I'm living here. [laughs] But I love you all.
[repeats in Spanish]
I: Tarja, thank you so much for being here and for the concert you will have soon. My friends, this was Tarja Turunen in "Noticiero de las Pampas".