Interview: Tarja Turunen - "I Didn't Know This Kind Of Love Exists" - Ilona magazine, August 2009 (English translation)

Tarja Turunen used to avoid conflicts to please men. She had the feeling that partners benefit her financially. Only meeting Marcelo revolutionized Tarja's understanding of couple relashionships.

We met for the first time... at a working lunch in Santiago, Chile. Our love was not born at the first sight, not really. I did notice that he was quiet for a South-American. When we got to know eachother, I was impressed that he didn't suck up and always had time to listen.

The most beautiful someone has done for me... when Marcelo followed me to Finland though I told him not to. We hadn't seen eachother for a few weeks, but he could no longer take the seperation. I didn't believe it when Marcelo called me claiming he was standing 50 meters away from my door. The surprise was complete. I had missed him too.

The last thing that irritated me was... when I couldn't get Marcelo away from the computer for even an hour. He sometimes works from 7 in the morning until past midnight. When I complain he says work has to be done. He's right of course. When I see that Marcelo is tired and stressed, I try to make him more relaxed.

A man's role is.... in our family to follow the woman's terms. Wife's stardom requires a lot of patience and a healty self-esteem. Our relashionship wouldn be difficult if Marcelo wouldn't support me and understand my work. Of course I support him. Fortunately, my husband is not a man who needs to be in the heart of the debate.

I laughed a lot... in a radio interview with Marcelo in Panama. I can't remember exactly what happened, but we both started to laugh uncontrollably. We have such similar sense of humour. Eventually I had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the interview. The presenter was left alone in puzzlement on air.

I understood only in time that... I can trust this man. When Marcelo lived for one month at my house in Finland at the beginning of our relashionship, I gave him a hard time. I tested my limits and I didn't even agree to give him the little finger. When the guy lasted for 30 days in my 30 square meter one room appartment, I believed that he could keep up with me in long run.

We fight... believe it or not, not at all. It is impossible to fight with Marcelo because his nerves don't burn easily. Of course, we exchange opinions or we discuss more vehemently, but we never put eachother down.
Some friends of mine didn't believe this at first, but eventually they had to admit they were wrong.

I overcame myself, when... I understood that no one is perfect. I have finally given myself permission to make mistakes. I remember when I was disappointed in the past for singing even just one word wrong. The pressure made my life hard. Making mistakes has now become rather a pleasure. This way others will be able to see exactly who I am.

At home we are fussy about... purity (cleaning). Over the years I learned that if I want Marcelo's socks off the floor, I have to lift them myself. Yes, it is me who does the work in Kuusankoski. But when we got our second home, in Buenos Aires, my husband also got more housework. He also makes delicious food.

Marcelo has changed me... a lot. I have become more straightforward. Marcelo has helped me to get more self-confidence. Next to him, I've blossomed, also artistically.
I sing better now, because of perfirmung starts with emotions. It's wonderful when you have a man who will support you one hundred percent.

I'm afraid.. if something bad happens to one of us. Of course, I read too many news about plane crashes. We usually travel together, so that would probably happen to both of us. We have spoken about death and we know that we are lucky to be able to spend so much time together.

I pamper Marcelo by... arranging surprises for him. I often plot something behind his back with some of our friends. Marcelo doesn't dare to say no even for work, when friends come to us to go to movies or to drive karts. It's more difficult to surprise him now though, because we are almost always together.

I would never agree to.. be like one of those couples, where someone would exploit me. I once experienced that the man benefited from me financially. Furthermore, it felt like he had the opportunity to show off by going out with me. Both have to have their hearts fully in the relationship.

A family... we have talked about this recently. My brother recently had his first child. Yes, a woman at this age thinks about having children. I'm not stressed because pregnancy isn't current right now. My biological clock hasn't started to tick yet. And it might not at all. But I wouldn't want to miss the experience of being a mother.

I regret... only the fact that our life is very busy at the moment that we don't have time to stop. Our workday is so constant going that I have thought about starting joga or meditating. On the other hand, I wouldn't do this work or travel all the time, if I didn't get such a pleasure out of it.

The best thing about our relashionship is... the deep trust. I can be sure that Marcelo will not betray me. Even though we are together all the time, we aren't dependent on eachother. You have to keep your independence in doing art. I don't want a man who is under my boot. Marcelo always has a word to say.

My biggest illusion of love was... that I didn't believe in true love anymore. I avoided the thought that someone could sweep me off my feet. Before I tried to avoid conflicts and please the men. I didn't know that such love exists. In this relashionship I get to be myself. I don't need to be more than I am.

Tarja's and Marcelo's story
2000 - The couple met in Chile, when Marcelo was organising Nightwish's tour in South America.
2001 - The relashionship started to stabilize. Marcelo followed Tarja in Finland, and lived for a month in her appartment.
2002 - The couple got married in the end of the year and organized the wedding for the following summer.
2003- Marcelo started to tour with Nightwish. The fresh married couple bought two homes in Buenos Aires and Kuusankoski.
2004 - The couple participated at castle celebrations. Tarja's dress charmed the viewers and was voted "the night's queen".
2005 - Nightwish dismissed Tarja through a public letter. The letter wasn't only attacking Tarja, but also Marcelo.
2006 - Tarja and Marcelo sold the home in Kuusankoski and bought a new house, that was renovated from the floor to the ceiling.
2007 - Tarja's album, My Winter Storm, was released in the end of the year in the whole world.
2008 - Tarja moved permanently to Argentina. The house in Kuusankoski became the couple's vacation house.






Note: I just translated this interview with Tarja. Credit for the original text goes to the Finnish "Ilona" magazine (August issue), for the scans goes to Afrodite, and since my Finnish is not that good, the [many] mistakes were corrected by Afrodite and Orion.