WSFCB - Winter Storm Belgium
Dutch    French    English
Biography In English
"They gave me their wings, I spread them wide"
There must be a reason why fans call her Angel. Having spread her wings wide for the first time in Kitee, Finland, on August 17th, 1977, Tarja Turunen has always been an enchantment to the eyes and ears of her devoted audience. Charming people with her talent ever since she was shorter than a church shrine, in community organised concerts, her voice has always been larger than life.

"I started to sing when I was 3 years old. In fact, I think I started to sing even before I started to speak."
Not long after that age, more precisely, when she was six, Tarja started her musical studies. Being a multi-talent student, she has managed the performance of holding the key to interpreting more than one instrument. Not only is she a talented soprano, but she has also caressed the piano and drums with her talent.

Growing up into an united, musical family, Tarja has been greatly influenced by the atmosphere she was educated in, thus contributing to her special charisma.

"We are a family that sings a lot, and laughs a lot."
Supported by the ones surrounding her, Tarja moved away from home at 18, to Kuopio, when she was succesfully accepted at the "Sibelius Music Academy". This is also when she participated in the "Savonlinnan Taidelukion - Romeo ja Julia" project, where she participated on 2 tracks, proving how mature and developed her voice was even in those days.

At the same time, being known in her native town for her talent, it wasn't long until someone asked her to join an acoustic music project. That someone was none other than young Tuomas Holopainen, one of her school mates. This was the most important moments in the development of the project he had in mind, because Tarja's unexpectedly strong, dramatic voice, forced Tuomas into changing the musical orientation that he was looking for. This is how Nightwish turned from what should have been an acoustic "camp-fire" band, into the theatrical heavy-metal band that consacrated its members.

The never-used before combination between a classical trained voice, and heavy guitar riffs, all together in a metal band, appealed to Spinefarm Records, offering the newcomers Nightwish, their first record deal. This is how, in 1997, the finnish unusual heavy metal band released their first album "Angels Fall First".

"Dreams within dreams" - The beggining
"Before I joined Nightwish, I'd seen Stratovarius when I was about 14 but I knew nothing of heavy metal."
Declarations like this one shocked metal fans all over the world who looked up to Tarja and considered her a metal icon. This didn't draw them away from her, on the contrary, it was a plus to her charm and what made her special in within the endless number of "I have always been a Metallica fan" type of singers. Special, different, unique was all you could think of when you saw Tarja performing on stage, singing in the studio, or hanging out in the backstage areas.

In 1998, Nightwish hit platinum with their "Oceanborn" album. They started touring, and in a very short period of time, they were getting amazing reviews from the biggest heavy metal magazines you could think of. This was the beginning of an unexpected wave of popularity that changed the lives of all the members in the band, and especially Tarja's.

"I'm a lady, not a rockbitch."

Even if she headbanged and gave the metal horns on stage to hundreds of thousands of fans in countries all over Europe, Japan, or America, Tarja didn't separate her way from the path of classical music, continuing to participate in projects like the Savonlinna Opera Festival, or "The Evankeliumi" modern ballet set on the stage of the Finnish National Opera House, in 1999 (where, coincidence or not, she played "The Angel").

The year 2000 demonstrated how loved this band was in their home country. Their performance of the song "Sleepwalker" in the national finals of the Eurovision song-contest touched the hearts of the public, winning by far, the viewers televoting. They came second, but it was a obvious proof that their status in Finland was growing more and more everyday.

For Tarja, the years 2000 and 2001 were just plain busy. Nightwish released "Wishmaster" and the big explosion of concerts, television performances, fan-meetings, interviews, and magazine-appeareances took place. Tarja's face was covering issues of Rock Hard, Orkus, Scream, Metal Hammer, Rock Brigade, in countries starting from the northern Finland and Norway to the hot Argentina or Brasil.

The band's first dvd, "From Wishes to Eternity" released in 2001, shot in 2000 in Tampere, is one of the genre's classics nowadays. Selling platinum, it shows just how good the chemistry between the members was on stage, and how mesmerising Tarja's performances were. Histerical fans screaming in the front rows, and knowing the lyrics by heart were a living (and headbanging) statement that the finnish band was already a phenomenon.

"Tarja Turunen is... Tarja Turunen" (FWTE dvd)
This is exactly how things were. She was doing something no one else was, and hadn't had any problems adapting to the many different projects and opportunities she was given by the music industry.

"I think she bought a pair of shoes with the money she received" (Beto Vazquez about Tarja's collaboration with him)
In 2001, Beto Vazquez, an Argentinian musician, invited Tarja to do some vocals for his latest release. TikanmŠen Not hunting for any exceptional material gaining, she accepted, and ended up singing on a couple of tracks, together with other well-known vocalists like Candice Night or Sabine Edelsbacher. Later on, tracks like "Tuulikello" (Anssi TikanmŠen Yhtye - Perinteinen POP -Levy) and "Olet Kaikki" (duet with Pepe Willberg) demonstrated her versatility once again.

It would be useless to continue enumerating the many gold and platinum sales, and the constant touring with Nightwish, as it it more than known. No matter if it was a mini-disc, a full cd, a dvd or any type of merchandising, they would dissapear from stocks in shops world-wide in a flash. Top positions in charts all over the world speak for themselvs, but numbers are just too little to express the size of the band's continuous evolution.

"She has perfect face features. She could be a model" (mag. Photographer)
And she has been. In a way. Posing for so many photoshoots, working with world known photographers like Mike Johansson and Toni Harkonen, Tarja is without doubt one of the most beautifull faces in heavy metal. She was even included in a top of the sexiest women in the metal world.

"It is hard to think people believe I'm a sexy person because I am not trying to be sexy."
In 2002 she was voted as the best singer in Finland, and the most charismatic person, by Soundi magazine.

Not ignoring her classical music career, in 2002 Tarja initiated together with friends and collegues Marjut Paavilainen, Ingvild Storhaug and Izumi Kawakatzu, a lied tour called "Noche Escandinava" which took her touring in countries like Germany, South America and Chile. A second part of this tour, started in 2004, including Romania and Brasil in its programme. This represented a huge succes for Tarja, as she managed to get many fans for the first time in an opera house, attending lied concerts. The lives of many girls were influenced by these performances, and some of them started taking classical music classes, and applying to conservatories worldwide.

A true role model, Tarja has been followed by endless admirers and fanatics even, as her career with Nightwish went on with a new studio release, "Century Child" in 2002. The tour that followed, included several countries and tens of shows, at which thousands attended.

Both the tensions in the band at that time, and the exhaustion of the members, caused by intensive touring, made them all take a break from Nighwish. In 2003, more than 700.000 people had the privilege of seing Nightwish performing live, and the sales show they were very impressed by what they heard and saw. As a crowining of their success, they also released the band's second DVD, "End Of Innocence", and announced the recording and release of a new album in 2004.

"But I don't want to walk alone"
For Tarja Turunen, the year 2003 was also one of personal fullfilling, on an intimate level. Early that year, she got married to Marcelo Cabuli, the man that would later become both her manager, and her greatest support.

"In our marriage we dont follow the expression 'big woman behind a big man nor the other way around. We walk beside each other'." (Marcelo Cabuli)
And they walked besides each other on the red carpet to meet the Finnish President Tarja Halonen in the year 2003. This confirmed Tarja's high status in Finland, and the fabulous personal style reflected in her outfits, brought her the title of "Best dressed" at the Independence Day Party, where newspapers like Iltalehti and IltaSanomat declared her without any doubts, The Queen Of The Night.

"One angel's dream"
Tarja's first solo career step was anticipated in 2004 by her first Christmas release, called "Yhden Enkelin Unelma" or "One angels dream" . It included very popular finnish X-mas songs, like "En etsi valtaa, loistoa" and "Kun Joulu On".

This single got in heavy-rotation on radio stations in Finland, and soon hit gold in Tarja's home country. Also, the sales for Martin Kesici's single "Leaving you for me" that included stunning vocals from Tarja, and a release of recordings of the "Noche Escandinava Tour" were a sign that Turunen's name was a successful trademark on its own. Further solo career plans were being made, but no one knew at that time that faith would cut things short, and hurry up certain steps in the life and carreer of this unusual soprano.

"Once I had a dream, and this is it"


Probably the most awaited and most media-friendly album Nightwish have ever released, "Once" was definitely a hit. The success in sales ment more touring, and more promotional activity for the band. It also ment the end of it, unfortunately. As much as it was the biggest album Nightwish ever did, with impressive orchestras and long-length tracks like the famous "Ghost Love Score", the unseen success was put in the shadows by the scandal that it ended with.

"Dear Tarja,"
October 2005 marked the end of the "Once" world tour. The shooting of a DVD was planned for the last concert of the tour, that took place at the legendary Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. The tickets were sold out in just a couple of hours, and fans were waiting out the doors of the hall with even 24h ahead of the opening time, just so they could get fair spots near the front rows. None of them knew that they would assist to the last Nightwish concert, in the formula that had consacrated it. After the band's best performance ever, that included magnificent pyro effects, and projections on a huge screen, several outfit changes by Tarja, and special guest's John Two Hawks presence on stage for "Creek Mary's Blood", the final bow, was indeed the last one where fans could also see Tarja holding hands with the other bandmembers. Tarja was given a letter from the bandmembers, that she was asked not to open until the next day. The letter was a tough farewell from the band, sacking her as if her "services" were no longer needed.

"Fortune and fate"
The huge media hussle and drama in the finnish tabloids made the situation seem like it would never end. The revealing of the name "End of An Era" for the DVD shot at Hartwall, made it no easier for the fans.

"The whole Finland took this as a national catastrophe" (Tarja - Mexpress Radio)
For the fans, this is exactly what it was. After many interviews from both the band and Tarja, press conferences, questions and answers, tears and regrets, the wound managed to be partially closed for the people that witnessed the success of Nightwish for 9 years.

"I will forgive them, but probably never forget"
The only thing that managed to give this whole issue a less bitter taste, was Tarja's Christmas Tour. No one knew that she would have to start this tour no longer as a Nightwish member, but this was the only thing that distracted people from the drama caused by the letter she had received only a couple of months earlier. She took the Christmas atmosphere so dear to her, from the native Finland, to countries like Germany, Spain and Romania. Once again, Tarja's fans proved to be faithfull to her, and luckily, the year ended in hope and good spirit for everyone.

"I am not angry, I am not bitter. I am just sad that it had to end like this"
"I'll move on to another place from my memories unmade"

The year 2006 brought fans some good news from Tarja. She would begin the recordings from her first solo album, that later on was revealed to have the name "My Winter Storm".

Meanwhile, Tarja participated in many side projects, like charity concerts in collaboration with UNICEF, the SPIN project together with artists like Nicke Lignell, Maria YlipŠŠ, Eeva Vilkkumaa, Tino Singh, Jonna JŠrnefelt, or the Savonlinna Festival , together with Raimo Sirkia. The shows were sold out, and fans all over the world traveled to Finland in order to see Tarja performing "La Traviatta" or Raimo Sirkia performing "Two for Tragedy". The experience was once again a relief for the ones that thought Turunen would abandon the classical style that consacrated her.

A more ambitious idea of Tarja, the one of acting for TV series like Paarolissa and Studio Impossible. The parts weren't big, and everything was basically done for fun, but fans could get a glimpse of one of the other talents that their idol was holding.

"The worse rumour about me? That I don't care about my fans. That was just terrible"
Proving once again that she does care, Tarja posted frequently on her main board, which is a part of her main site. She also organised small contests, offering appealing prizes, like to spend a day in her company, assisting to the recording of "Henkays Ikuisuudesta", her first Christmas album. A couple of lucky fans got to visit her at Finnvox Studios, and were stunned by how humble and friendly Tarja was. Her constant keep-in-touch with the fans, continued when her online blog was released, as a method of dropping a line for fans as often as possible, and keeping them informed.

"You would have loved this"
As expected, "Henkays Ikuisuudesta" went platinum, and the first single extracted from the album became a collector's item.

A tour followed, including countries like Finland, and Russia.

"Keep all the roses I'm not dead"
The year 2007 brought Tarja back to the studio, for the recordings of "My Winter Storm". The journey to producing this album began in Ibiza, and continued in Ireland, Finland and USA. Tarja worked with proffesionals like Mel Wesson, Kiko Loureiro, Doug Wimbish, Martin Tillman, and Alex Scholp.

The first single was called "I walk alone" and it will be released on October 12th 2007.The video for it, was shot in Germany, and was directed by Jšrn Heitmann. The official release date for "My Winter Storm" was set to November 9th, and fans all over the world are expecting this day with great enthusiasm and high expectations.

"Pray you won't grow wings"
do believe that following these lines might give you an idea of why fans call her Angel. Of why they travel for miles just to see a glimpse of her. Of why they cry when she sings. It's just one wing she's spread so far. The second one will bring unseen light and joy to the hearts of the ones that love her. Just wait and see...


English Source: written by Sylvera - unofficial biography
Google Ads
Login
Username

Password



Not a member yet?
Click here to register.

Forgotten your password?
Request a new one here.
Activiteiten
<< April 2010 >>
Ma Di Wo Do Vr Za Zo
      1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8 9 10 11
12 13 14 15 16 17 18
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
26 27 28 29 30    
Latest Forum Posts
What Lies Beneath
Boeken
Tarja-Sheet Music
Voetbal
MFVF VIII
Users Online
· Guests Online: 2

· Members Online: 1
Silver_Wings

· Total Members: 101
· Newest Member: Jordy
Shoutbox
You must login to post a message.

Jordy
04/09/2010
jeeeeeeej! Ik heb de partituren van If You Believe!! <3

Attila
03/09/2010
Ik heb hem ook, gekocht bij de afzetters van FreeRecord, want anders duurde het te lang Very Happy Hij is inderdaad echt goed. Verdere discussie liefst in het forum Smile.

ines
03/09/2010
de nieuwe site is echt tof gedaan! Pfft

runa
03/09/2010
ik heb WLB! klinkt super!

runa
03/09/2010
amai, ne dikke proficiat! de nieuwe lay-out is super!
Tarja Official Webshop

Render time: 1.87 seconds 417,767 unique visits
© WinterStormBelgium
created by Silver_Wings


Powered by Pimped-Fusion copyright © 2009 - 2010
Powered by PHP-Fusion copyright © 2002 - 2010 by Nick Jones.
Released as free software without warranties under GNU Affero GPL v3.