TARJA TURUNEN

TARJA TURUNEN Checks In From Toronto






Finnish vocalist TARJA TURUNEN (ex-NIGHTWISH) has issued the following road report:

"New York show was very nice beginning for this tour. Thanks to my beautiful American fans. There were also many Latin American people in the audience, so it was really lovely.

I was nervous, but all that vanished bit by bit during the show. I trust my band mates and technicians and they did great again. It is beautiful to feel the support from my band, no matter what happens and when. Nothing strange happened on that night except for few lyrics mistakes or wrong chords here and there, but as always, the first show in a tour has all the elements to make me nervous.

Now after having performed two shows already, everything is getting in the right place, as we all are where we prefer to be: on stage.

This is a photo (left) taken just before starting the first night at The Fillmore in NY.

After the show in NY, we meet many fans and friends. Among them I met Dirk Rudolph and it was a pleasant surprise. He told me that he had enjoyed my concert a lot. Dirk was doing the artwork for My Winter Storm and I am surely going to work with him again for my next album.

We drove at night to reach Canada. Here are some pictures in the nightliner."

Now we are in Toronto, Canada. Yesterday’s show in Montreal was just amazing. People were singing, cheering and having fun. As some of you might know already, I really like the city of Montreal. I’ve been spending even some holidays there some years ago.

Felt good to be back in Canada and perform in the same venue I’ve been singing before. I am also expecting to have a great time tonight in Toronto with my fans and band.

We just finished the sound check in Toronto. We used the chance to rehearse some “old-new” songs that we will add to the set list from Mexico on.

I just hope I can soon get rid of the immense neck pain that I have at the moment, because of the head banging…always after the first shows the neck is on fire."

Tarja tour dates can be found at this location.

TARJA TURUNEN - "With My Classical Training And Coming From A Metal Band, Producers Didn’t Know What To Expect"



Former NIGHTWISH singer TARJA TURUNEN spoke with Naomi Freeman from Excal.on.ca while she was in Toronto recently promoting her new solo album, My Winter Storm.

“I think it’s really important to be humble for the music because there is always someone better than you, there is always something new for you to learn for music and you can’t be the best in the world. It makes you work very hard,” Tarja explained before her Toronto appearance. “Music really makes you keep your feet on the ground. People can really see if you’re honest. That is the truth, they really can see through you,” she said.

“With my classical training and coming from a metal band, producers didn’t know what to expect. I like to shock people, though. It makes it fun,” she said about her solo debut.

Read more here.

TARJA TURUNEN Checks In From European Summer Storm Tour



Ex-NIGHTWISH vocalist TARJA TURUNEN has issued the following road update from her Summer Storm tour:

"The driving distances on this summer tour are really long, but we are safe and sound. We had four drivers with us in some parts of the tour!

The first gig went fine, even though there was some excitement in the air during the concert, since it was our first show in Europe after a long time.

Plus, we have some new crew members taking care of us.

Many little crazy things happened during the show, but the audience seemed to enjoy our performance a lot and we managed to go through the set.

What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. I have believed in this and it has worked pretty well so far in my life. Per aspera ad astra, the wise man said.

It was lovely to return to Budapest. The rehearsals went fine, even though the place where we held the rehearsals was so tiny that we ended up sweating like in a Finnish sauna every day. It was tough for everybody. The lack of oxygen is not good for your mind …and muscles uncle Mike would say.

But the people in the rehearsals studios were so kind and very helpful. I really appreciate their efforts.

The second show finally took us to Bucharest! And as I was expecting, we really had a lot of fun with my Romanian fans. The reception has been always great in that country, so I was happy to be able to perform the music from My Winter Storm for the first time there. For many of the band members it was the first time ever to visit Vlad Dracul’s land.

The rainy day in Slovakia turned into sun. The venue in Ziar was really nice and cosy and the Slovakian audience was just wonderful for us. Very loud I might say. I got very emotional during the show since I got to see so many excited faces smiling at me. The band was also happy after the show, so we felt even more united. Thanks to the Slovakians.

We left Germany behind and traveling through Swiss and France we just arrived to Zaragoza, Spain."

Turunen's touring band for the summer is as follows:

Tarja Turunen - vocals
Mike Terrana - drums (MASTERPLAN, SAVAGE CIRCUS, ex-RAGE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN)
Maria Ilmoniemi - keyboards
Doug Wimbish - bass (LIVING COLOUR, MADONNA, JEFF BECK, ROLLING STONES)
Kiko Loureiro - guitars (ANGRA)
Max Lilja - cello (HEVEIN, ex-APOCALYPTICA)

Upcoming Tarja Turunen dates can be found here.

TARJA TURUNEN - "The Final Work For What Lies Beneath Has Started"






TARJA TURUNEN (ex-NIGHTWISH) has issued the following new blog entry:

"The final work for What Lies Beneath has started.

In these last couple of weeks I have been daily preparing the production, schedules, arrangements for the songs and for the album itself.

It feels great to be able to start the recordings very soon, since I have been waiting for the moment already for a long time. I am truly excited to witness how all will unfold!

The process for my second album started back in June 2008. Among the first songs that my friends and I composed at that time, a character called “Naiad” was born. The fantasy story of Naiad gave me the idea for the album title and for the whole album concept: What Lies Beneath.

Let’s start getting together into the spirit of the album.

Find here the lyrics of Naiad. It is a very important song in the album and means a lot to me personally.

Naiad (Torsten, Angela, Adrian and Tarja)

She hears the distant soft caress
there in the gloom.
Colours surround with tenderness
guiding her through.
In the forgotten sweet abyss
another sound
twilight floating memories
always without.
Gloaming
there above the surface
an illusion
reaching down for me.
What lies beneath
beyond the ocean’s door
tranquil is the kiss
of the azure rising deep
sleeping ever more
Naiad’s mystery
what lies beneath.
Guarding their immorality
saints in the sand.
Stranger than beautiful eerie
an ancient land
Circle of sixteen turned to stone
and still they keep
shimmering crystal promises
one space between.
Breathing the newborn waves.
Kneeling for the sea she became.

The last touches for the music, last lines of lyrics and arrangements for the songs need to be done now before getting into the studio.

I have chosen the musicians for each song, the recording and mixing engineers and some the studios where the album will come alive.

We are also starting to organize the artwork and photos for the album.

It has been wonderful to be able to brainstorm again and decide the direction the album is going to take. I hope that you will be surprised again by my work; because that’s the way I like it

The recordings of the drums will begin on February 4th. I will be in touch with you daily from the studio, so you will have a chance to read, see and maybe also hear what is happening there."