Few voices can represent the beauty of the union between light and darkness as well as the angelic singing of Tarja Turunen . The Finnish singer is the main reference when thinking about symphonic metal, from her first steps with Nightwish to her productive solo career, creating a comprehensive and unique legacy. About to return to Brazil to celebrate the body of work forged over the last few decades, the singer spoke with Wikimetal about the compilation Best Of: Living The Dream .
Released in December of last year, the compilation brings together the main hits of Tarja's solo career, which began with the album My Winter Storm (2007). For the tracklist, the artist made a personal selection of her favorite tracks from the six studio albums released since then. “The selection of songs for the main Best Of was quite easy, as I wanted to include the songs that I perceived to be fan favorites at my shows and that were released as singles from my albums. However, we released different versions of the compilation as limited and special editions, and in those versions I was able to choose my own favorite songs. These songs are more artistic and progressive. For a true fan, these special edition albums always generate a lot of interest,” commented the singer.
Listening to Tarja's selection of hits, it's impossible not to reflect on the autobiographical content and recurring messages of overcoming adversity in the lyrics. This is the case with "Diva," from the album The Shadow Self (2016), in which the singer finally responded musically to the accusations made during the tumultuous process of her dismissal from Nightwish, when she was caught off guard by an open letter to the public in which she was described as a difficult person to get along with and a diva, in the worst sense of the word.
When questioned about the balance between the harsh labeling she received as a diva and her status as an inspiring muse for thousands, Tarja reiterated how far she is from that image of a haughty and proud person. “It hurt me deeply when my reputation was damaged by several false accusations in the past, made by people who had no other way to live their own lives than to do that. But I chose to listen to my heart and follow my dream with music,” she explained. “I love playing the song 'Diva' at my shows, and by doing so, I'm telling people that we shouldn't care about what others say badly about us, just because their own lives are miserable, they are envious, or they want to be like you. Each of us is the diva of our own lives.”
This message of empowerment is a constant in Tarja's albums, even though the concepts change and explore different aspects of feelings and emotions. “I encourage people to live their dreams, to follow their passions, and to live their lives fully in this moment. It may sound like a cliché, but it certainly isn't. It's very difficult to realize that life has passed without having a single chance to truly live and do the things you always wanted to do, perhaps just because you were afraid to make a change. What if there is no tomorrow?” she questions.
Tarja's history with music began in childhood, when her parents enrolled her in the choir of the church they attended, and it became a profession in her youth – she had just turned 20 when Nightwish debuted with Angels Fall First in 1997. Approaching three decades as one of the most recognizable voices in metal, there's some advice she would give to a younger Tarja: “Definitely, I would tell her not to let people use her like a puppet and not to accept things that would hurt her. I would tell her to work twice as hard to increase her inner strength.”
In this process of revisiting memories and significant moments from her life on stage, the vocalist is proud of the consistency with which she has maintained an international career, with a well-established fan base worldwide. But beyond the happy memories, Tarja is excited for the next steps. "I honestly feel that the best is yet to come," she said.
As part of the international tour promoting the project, Tarja returns to Brazil in September 2023 for a series of shows focused on her career hits, passing through São Paulo, Curitiba and Limeira (see more details here ). The relationship with the country began more than 20 years ago and has never stopped: according to data from Setlist.fm , we are the second country in Latin America with the most Tarja shows, second only to Argentina, where the singer once lived with her husband, Marcelo Cabuli.
Looking forward to her performances in our country, Tarja concludes the conversation with Wikimetal by talking about one of her other passions for Brazilian culture (besides the fans, of course): "I love picanha! There's no way I can visit Brazil without having dinner at a churrascaria. I love the local food in general, so having a good culinary experience in the country is a must," she commented.
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