About the Symphonic concert in Plovdiv, about kids and metal and many more!

Finland's metal diva will be performing for her Bulgarian fans in the most special of settingsВ on 21В September.

Tarja Turunen will beВ presenting her 'Beauty and the Beat' show at the Roman Amphitheatre in Plovdiv with stellar drummer Mike Terrana and a 100+ orchestra and choir.

The show promises to be epic and grand, with amazing lights and sound.

Just a week before the show, we are talking with TARJA who's in her home in Argentina.

an interview conducted by Vassil Varbanov

GOOD MORNING, TARJA! HOW ARE YOU?
Good morning! I'm very fine, thank you. How are you?

I'M GOOD. IT'S ACTUALLY THE END OF THE SUMMER IN BULGARIA. IS IT THE END OF THE WINTER IN ARGENTINA?
It is. It's actually already beautiful, beautiful Springtime here. The sun is shining, the trees are getting green, it's really unbelievable. I'm enjoying my time on my balcony with my daily coffee.

OK, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT YOUR FORTHCOMING SHOW, BUT BEFORE THAT PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW MUSIC THAT YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON WITH GUYS LIKE ERIK NYHOLM. YOU MENTIONED THAT ABOUT A MONTH AGO ON YOUR BLOG. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHEN THIS NEW STUFF WILL BE RELEASED?
Oh, it's quite early to say, because I'm still writing songs and it's very very early in the process of making the whole album. What I can say though, is that I wish people will be able to hear the album next year and that I hope to release it by then. But it's nothing concrete yet.

It's a bit too early for me to tell you more about it, but I'm in the process, I'm very happy, the songs are blooming and I like what I hear, I like the vibe of the album, it's going to be something similar to what I've done before, but of course with some surprises thrown in and maybe even some shocking elements, as always, but, yeah, it's a bit too early still.

WE ALSO HEARD THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF 2012 YOU'RE GOING TO EMBARK ON ANOTHER TOUR, THIS TIME WITH YOUR BAND, AFTER WHICH YOU'LL TAKE A BREAK FROM TOURING, TO CONCENTRATE ON THE RECORD.
Yeah, exactly.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING CONFIRMED SO FAR?
Yeah, we're working very hard for the tour. It'll be the final tour for the 'What Lies Beneath' album, the current album of mine and we will be touring three months or so, even more...Mainly we start from Europe, first from Western Europe, then we go to Eastern Europe, then finally in March we go down to South America and that's about it.

Hopefully we'll even go to China - hopefully. It will be my first time ever in Asia actually. So, very nice plans, but that's about it. After that I'll be concentrating on the forthcoming album.В 

RIGHT! TIME TO TALK ABOUT 'BEAUTY AND THE BEAT'! OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE THE BEAUTY AND MIKE IS THE BEAT, NOT VICE VERSA...
Haha, I guess so!

WELL, WE KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT THE GOLDEN TOUCH AND POSSESS AN IMMENSE TALENT, BUT DO YOU REHEARSE WITH MIKE? I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY IN ARGENTINAВ  AND MIKE IS, AS FAR AS I KNOW, SOMEWHERE IN ITALY...
Yes, exactly. We are not rehearsing together. We will hopefully have a few days to rehearse in Plovdiv, together with the orchestra, together with the choir and with Mr. Terrana. He's rehearsing on his own and so am I.

I'm working really hard on my vocals and performance on a daily basis. It's a tough concert. It's a big challenge for all of us, I think it's the first time any of us have done anything like this, it's a very unique appearance. I think it will be a very nice start and I hope it's the start of something bigger for the future.

I hope we can do these kind of concerts with Mike in the future as well, so it's very nice that we can start it in Bulgaria, where my fans are the greatest and the audience has always been so amazing.

I'M TELLING YOU, THIS ROMAN THEATER IS A MAGICAL PLACE.
Yes, it's unbelievable. I have seen so many beautiful pictures of it. It's so nice to be able to be a part of it, to see all that and create a magical evening there.

TALKING ABOUT YOUR FANS, ESPECIALLY THE BULGARIAN ONES, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN SURPRISED BY THE FACT THAT SO MANY KIDS LISTEN TO YOUR STUFF. WHAT'S THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP YOU HAVE WITH THE KIDS?
What's really amazing is that I was never there with my ex-band - Nightwish. We never played Bulgaria when I was in the band. My first appearance in Bulgaria was two years ago with my solo record, my first record - 'My Winter Storm'. It was unbelievable! I never expected to have such a huge concert in Sofia for the first time. Thousands and thousands of people came to see me and ever since the support from Bulgarian fans for me has been unbelievable.

I don't know, there is something really beautiful happening in your country and I am just so honoured to be part of it and I hope I can give some of the love you guys are giving to me every day back to you. It's really an honour.В 

I ACTUALLY MEANT REAL, 10-YEAR OLD KIDS. I RECALL THAT LAST TIME IN SOFIA YOU GOT A LITTLE TEDDIE BEAR AS A GIFT FROM YOUR FANS. I MEAN, THERE WERE PROPER LITTLE KIDS IN THE CROWD.
Oh, there are, there are. It's an incredible, really beautiful thing. Because what is there? The new generation of music. If I can give some of that, the beauty of music and the greatness and talent of music, it's been such an inspiration to me throughout my whole life...

In a way, it fulfils all my dreams, music is in touch with everything I do. So all this new generation, it's unbelievable to see all the kids at my concerts, I really love that, to be a part of that, it's like I'm a mother figure for them. In a good way, I hope.

SPEAKING OF WHICH, I DON'T RECALL EVER ASKING YOU IF YOU HAVE KIDS YOURSELF...
No, not yet. I would love to.

BUT YOU'RE TOO BUSY RECORDING AND TOURING?
Yeah, I'm busy. But, you know, to have children, to be a performer and a mother - it's a tough combination. But, of course, it's my dream. We have a dream, me and my husband, to raise a family one day. It would be lovely. I still consider myself young enough for it, haha. Even though the clock is ticking...But I hope to have a family one day.

В 

RIGHT, LAST QUESTION. YOU YOURSELF SAID THAT YOUR WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN LINKED TO MUSIC. MOST ROCK MUSICIANS WE TALK TO USUALLY SAY THEY GREW UP LISTENING TO MOTORHEAD OR THE ROLLING STONES OR WHATEVER.
Yes, something related to rock.

YES. BUT LOOKING AT THE SETLIST FOR THE SHOW, WHICH IS A KIND OF A SECRET, SO NO ONE ELSE KNOWS ABOUT IT, AND LISTENING TO EVERYTHING YOU'VE BEEN DOING THROUGH THE YEARS, TELL ME - WHAT WAS THE MUSIC YOU GREW UP WITH, THE FIRST THING THAT GRABBED YOUR ATTENTION? WAS IT DVORAK OR MOZART, OR...?
You know, it's really tough to say. I have a brother, who is seven years older than me. He was listening to rock music. Not metal, but hard rock. I grew up with Alice Cooper, the Scorpions...I grew up with these bands because my brother was listening to them.

But I started studying classical music at six. So I was there, between those two worlds, at a very young age. I was listening to classical music, because I wanted to learn about it, about the composers and how they wrote those magnificent pieces. On the other hand I was also listening to rock and pop. I still do it today.

I listen to various kinds of music and it really helps me to grow as a musician and keep myself open for further challenges in the future. That has really kept me alive and also doing what I do, which is work hard every day.В В 

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