Nina Tapio couldn’t listen to Taikapeili’s songs – Now she’s doing something that you’d think even Hanna-Riika would be happy about

Actor-singer Nina Tapio, 52, sips green sparkling water with a smile. Otherwise, the sunny personality has reason to celebrate at the moment.

In the spring, it will be 30 years since the Taikapeili band was founded and has become an all-time hit Jossu has another – about the release of the song. The Emma-awarded pop duo released their last album, Fall asleep if you darein 1999. In addition to Tapio, the band included Hanna-Riikka Siitonenwho died of thyroid cancer at the age of 47 in July 2018.

Tapio himself cannot believe how quickly time has passed. He especially misses the endless laughter from the Magic Mirror times. The inside jokes and “nonsense” of pundits Siitonen and Tapio didn’t find the duo’s tour trips boring.

According to Tapio, you wouldn’t dare write everything about the duo’s activities in the magazine. However, he dares to reveal their beloved hobby, which made the duo even run away from gigs at times.

– Hanna-Riika and I always played Shanghai from the slot machine, which we called “shank”. Once we were at a gig at Kasino and in the middle of the show we ran out of there in long leather clothes to the lobby of the movie theater where there was a slot machine, the singer recalls with a smile to Iltalehte.

– We were sitting there playing shank, but we were listening with the side ear to where the song was going, i.e. how much time we still have to play. Then we ran back from there in a terrible hurry, he continues with a laugh.

The speed duo was also not afraid to sometimes act against the label’s orders.

– We went to radio stations to give interviews, and of course the record companies hoped that the singles that they wanted to market would be played at the end of them. But our producer couldn’t make it to the studio. We always hoped that ours would be called at the end Once upon a time there was a happy ending -our song, which is almost like a children’s fairy tale song, Tapio says.

– The record company was always angry with us about it, but we said: “This is a good song that will never be played anywhere else”, he adds.

Along with the funny banter, the two were also each other’s security. The duo’s hysterical popularity hit when they were 22 and 23 years old. It was significant for the two that they were able to handle their popularity together.

– Enormous popularity can be stressful. It’s even scary in situations where people are frantically wanting to hug you or rushing towards security fences.

– We always keep an eye on each other’s backs. For example, if we had to walk through the audience after leaving the stage, we made sure we walked together. If one person was asked to help, the other would wait, says Tapio.

Eternal sorrow

It will be six years since Siitonen’s death this summer. Tapio already knew in advance that his best friend would die. He thought that if the matter was dealt with in advance, it would make it easier to grieve after the death of a friend. However, this did not happen.

– No matter how hard you try to imagine what that sadness feels like, you still can’t imagine it. The first years were really hard, and sadness always came through in surprising places, the singer says.

In addition to being sad, another thing was difficult for a long time.

– It was difficult for me to listen to Hanna-Riika’s singing voice. It took me a year to be able to do it, the artist says.

Over time, Tapio’s grief has eased, but it will never go away. The cry of missing you still strikes, for example, in moments when something brings to mind a memory of Siitos.

– Grief changes its form. You learn to live with it and it is part of you. And it’s not an inconsolable sadness, but it strikes from time to time, and then we’re back to normal, the actor reminds.

– However, everyday life goes on all the time, and rarely is there an opportunity to just throw yourself into sadness so that it is your whole life, he emphasizes.

Through the unpleasant experience, Tapio learned to appreciate happy moments and good things even more.

– Yes, it reminded me that life is not fair in that sense. You can’t think that “I’m only 52 years old and I’m not supposed to die” – it just doesn’t work that way. But I don’t want to, and I don’t intend to, fear death either – that’s where you become paranoid and crazy.

A suitable party time

In the spring, Tapio plans to celebrate the band’s milestone year Behind the magic mirror – concerts. The content of the gigs consists of tunes made by both Taikapeil and Tapio, adapted to the present day.

Tapio admits that jumping into the project was not an easy step for him.

– After all, that was my own threshold to start doing this when there is no more Taikapeiil, and there won’t be, because there is no more Hanna-Riikka. Then I thought that I could still pull these songs. But I have had the opportunity to perform these songs, says the artist.

– Maybe I was stuck in the soundscape of the 1990s and the fact that there would be two of us singing. That’s why it has never occurred to me to sing certain songs. I even wanted to arrange them again for the band and make them sound different, he adds.

The singer thought about Siito during rehearsals and during the first gig of the tour. Despite the eternal longing, he feels that now is the right time to celebrate what they had.

– I think that Hanna-Riikka would also be happy that the songs will continue to live on, and that we are celebrating this 30-year milestone, even though she is no longer here, the singer reflects at the end.

Stylist: Hani Haimi

Makeup and hair: Muru Ritala

Clothing information: Earrings, snake ring and jeans DOTS… Fredrikinkatu, tsleep dress / Part Two, pink dress and patterned shirt / Deb Korkeavuorenkatu, pyöreä ring/ Muotikuu Outlet Fredrikinkatu, paappaat / Red Shoe / Fredrikinkatu.