Aki Sirkesalo
Aki Sirkesalo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aki Pekka Antero Sirkesalo 25 July 1962 Toijala, Finland |
| Died | 26 December 2004 (aged 42) Khao Lak, Thailand |
| Genres | Funk, soul, rock, pop |
| Occupations | Singer, musician, songwriter, broadcaster |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Years active | 1984–2004 |
| Label | Sony Music Entertainment |
Aki Pekka Antero Sirkesalo (25 July 1962 – 26 December 2004) was a Finnish singer and broadcaster. He and his family tragically lost their lives during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami while on holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand, a disaster that claimed over 230,000 lives across multiple countries.[1]
Career
Sirkesalo started his public career in 1984 as an announcer in the Finnish Broadcasting Company radio show Rockradio. In 1986, he formed a band called Giddyups and later a successful a cappella group Veeti and the Velvets. Sirkesalo released his first solo album Mielenrauhaa in 1995. He went on to make four more solo albums, the last of which, Sanasta miestä, was released posthumously in February 2005. Sirkesalo also hosted music-related TV shows for the Finnish Broadcasting Company.[2]
Death
Sirkesalo, aged 42, and his family (wife Johanna, aged 38, son Sampo, aged 8 and daughter Saana, aged 4) drowned after being struck by the tsunami during their vacation in Khao Lak, Thailand, in 2004.[3] They lie buried in Toijala.[4] Before his death, Sirkesalo lived with his family for the last few years of his life in Klaukkala, Nurmijärvi.[5]
His birth town Toijala memorized him by naming a street as Sirkesalontie. He had left a lot of unpublished music and lyrics before his death, which has been recorded by various artists.
Solo albums
| Year | Title | Chart |
|---|---|---|
| FIN | ||
| 1995 | Mielenrauhaa | 5 |
| 1996 | Aika | 3 |
| 1998 | Kissanelämää | 5 |
| 2001 | Enkeleitä onko heitä | 5 |
| 2002 | Halutuimmat | 9 |
| 2005 | Sanasta miestä | 1 |
| 2006 | 30 unohtumatonta laulua | 31 |
| 2009 | The Essential Aki Sirkesalo | — |
References
- ^ Niiranen, Jussi (December 24, 2024). "Aki Sirkesalon vaimo lähetti yöllä tekstiviestin, joka sinetöi koko perheen kohtalon – nyt haudalla on vastassa koskettava näky". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved December 9, 2025.
- ^ Mattila, Ilkka. "Muistot – Aki Sirkesalo". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ^ "Aki Sirkesalo". heavenslie.com. Archived from the original on March 25, 2014.
- ^ Rantalainen, Tiia. "Aki Sirkesalon vanhemmat: "Oman lapsen kuolemaa ei voi unohtaa koskaan"". Iltalehti. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ^ Vuorela, Arvo (August 25, 2017). "Tsunamissa kuolleen Aki Sirkesalon jäljiltä löytyi levyttämätöntä musiikkia – Se päätyy Suomen tunnetuimman äänen soololevylle" (in Finnish). YLE. Retrieved August 19, 2019.