Born in Kitee, Finland, Turunen began to study music at the age of six, and moved to the city of Kuopio at the age of eighteen to study at the Sibelius Academy. She became a founding member of Nightwish in 1996 when her classmate Tuomas Holopainen invited her to join his new musical project. That year Turunen also performed with the Savonlinna Opera Festival. However, she did not become internationally famous until the release of Nightwish's successful follow-up album, Oceanborn, in 1998.
Turunen sang solo in Waltari's rock-themed 1999 ballet Evankeliumi (also known as Evangelicum) in several sold-out performances at the Finnish National Opera. She continued to tour and record with Nightwish through 2000 and 2001, after which she enrolled in Karlsruhe, Germany's Music University. While there, she recorded vocals for Nightwish's 2002 album Century Child and for Beto Vázquez Infinity.
In 2002, Turunen toured South America, performing in the classical Lied concert Noche Escandinava (Scandinavian Night), again to sold-out houses. Following this and an exhausting world tour in support of Century Child, Nightwish took a hiatus and Turunen returned to Karlsruhe.
Finnish president Tarja Halonen and her husband invited Turunen to the President's Palace in Helsinki in December 2003 for the Finnish Independence Day Party, Finland's biggest social event, where the viewers of Finnish television station Yle named her the most impressively dressed lady, among honors given by several newspapers and magazines.
After the hiatus, Turunen rejoined Nightwish for the album Once and supporting world tour throughout 2004-2005, and embarked on a second Noche Escandinava tour in the spring of 2004. For Christmas 2004, she released the single "Yhden Enkelin Unelma" (One Angel's Dream), which sold gold in her native country, Finland. For the spring of 2005, she prepared a collaboration with Germany's Martin Kesici, the duet "Leaving You for Me", also accompanied by a video. On October 21, 2005, Turunen was asked to leave Nightwish in an open letter by the other members of Nightwish, over a dispute that involved "a changed attitude" and increased financial interest.[2] She responded through another open letter, which was posted on her website in both Finnish and English (the letter can no longer be found on her website, but is available on a fan page [3]). In February 2006, Tarja's husband Marcelo posted a message to her website addressing the situation, and asked for anyone who had questions pertaining to the issues between Tarja and the rest of the band to email him.[4] Marcelo then posted a lengthy reply to many of the questions he had received in June 2006.[5]
Varpunen jouluaamuna
Tarja Turunen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Järven aalto jäätynyt talvipakkasessa.
Varpunen pienoinen, syönyt kesäeinehen,
Järven aalto jäätynyt talvi pakkasessa.
Pienen pirtin portailla oli tyttökulta:
Tule, varpu, riemulla, ota siemen multa!
Joulu on, koditon varpuseni onneton,
Tytön luo nyt riemuiten lensi varpukulta:
Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta.
Palkita Jumala tahtoo kerran sinua.
Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta!
En mä ole, lapseni, lintu tästä maasta,
Olen pieni veljesi, tulin taivahasta.
Siemenen pienoisen, jonka annoit köyhällen,
Pieni sai sun veljesi enkeleitten maasta.
The song "Varpunen Jouluaamuna" by Tarja Turunen & Harus tells the story of a little sparrow on a cold winter morning. The snow covers the flowers in the valley, and the lake's waves are frozen in the winter's cold. The little sparrow has eaten its summer meal, and the phrase "Järven aalto jäätynyt talvi pakkasessa" repeats twice, emphasizing the freezing cold. The scene changes to a small house, where a girl waits for the sparrow outside. She invites the sparrow to come and take a seed from her. The sparrow happily accepts the invitation and thanks the girl before flying away.
The girl then tells the unknown narrator that the sparrow will be rewarded by God for its good deeds someday. Suddenly, the sparrow returns and says that it is not a bird from this earth, but a little brother from heaven. The tiny seed given to the poor by the girl's hand was for the sparrow's little brother, who is now living in the land of angels. In this wonderfully crafted tale, the sparrow's role is to focus attention on the importance of kindness, no matter how small or insignificant the act may appear.
Line by Line Meaning
Lumi on jo peittänyt kukat laaksosessa,
The snow has already covered the flowers in the valley.
Järven aalto jäätynyt talvipakkasessa.
The lake's waves have frozen in the winter cold.
Varpunen pienoinen, syönyt kesäeinehen,
A small sparrow has eaten its summer meal.
Järven aalto jäätynyt talvi pakkasessa.
The lake's waves have frozen in the winter cold.
Pienen pirtin portailla oli tyttökulta:
On the steps of a small cottage was a girl.
Tule, varpu, riemulla, ota siemen multa!
Come, little sparrow, with joy, take a seed from me!
Joulu on, koditon varpuseni onneton,
It's Christmas, my homeless sparrow is unhappy.
Tule tänne riemulla, ota siemen multa!
Come here joyfully, and take a seed from me!
Tytön luo nyt riemuiten lensi varpukulta:
Now flew a joyous sparrow to the girl:
Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta.
Thankfully, I'll take a seed from you.
Palkita Jumala tahtoo kerran sinua.
God wants to reward you one day.
Kiitollisna siemenen otan kyllä sulta!
Thankfully, I'll take a seed from you!
En mä ole, lapseni, lintu tästä maasta,
I am not, my child, a bird from this land,
Olen pieni veljesi, tulin taivahasta.
I am your little brother, I came from heaven.
Siemenen pienoisen, jonka annoit köyhällen,
The small seed you gave to the poor,
Pieni sai sun veljesi enkeleitten maasta.
Your little brother from the land of angels made it grow.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: George De Godzinsky, Otto Kotilainen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NewDivded
The enligsh lyrics.<3 The snow has already covered the flowers in the valley, the wave of the lake frozen in the winter cold. A little sparrow, eaten it's summer food, the wave of the lake frozen in the winter cold. On the stairs of a little cottage was a dear girl: come, sparrow, happily, take a seed from me! It is Christmas, my poor homeless sparrow, come here happily, take a seed from me! (Part 1)
katzparov
WOW...........What a voice !! Absolutely incredible and beautiful.
Jose Gomez
I love it! Tarja is amazing, is unique and very special, I love her
cristian gabriel Veron
que belleza, y pensar que la vengo escuchando hace muchos años y siempre me hipnotiza y cautiva al verla cantar, una Diosa
NewDivded
The english lyrics.<3 To the girl now happily flew the dear sparrow: thankfully a seed I will take from you. God will want to reward you one day. Thankfully a seed I will take from you! I am not, my child, a bird from this land, I am your little brother, I came from heaven. The little seed, that you gave to the poor, got your little brother from the land of angels. (Part 2)
Rodrigo Saraiva
Muito bela ela e a sua voz, obrigado por existir!
Devora Fileva
I love this beautiful Finnish Christmas song! The lyrics are so touching! Tarja sings it with so much emotion!
SeraphimxDead
I'm about to cry, Tarja can't be more perfect! She's my goddess! :') <3
Grisell Martinez
THIS is The Tarja Turunen I love!!!!!! AMAZING!!!
albrespy
Que hermosa (ella, la cancion tambien XD) Cada día canta mejor Tarja (L)