Aki Pekka Antero Sirkesalo (25 July 1962 – 26 December 2004) was a Finnish singer and broadcaster.

Aki Sirkesalo
Birth nameAki Pekka Antero Sirkesalo
Born(1962-07-25)25 July 1962
Toijala, Finland
Died26 December 2004(2004-12-26) (aged 42)
Khao Lak, Thailand
GenresFunk, soul, rock, pop
Occupation(s)Singer, musician, songwriter, broadcaster
InstrumentVocals
Years active1984–2004
LabelsSony Music Entertainment

Career

edit

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.[1]

Death

edit

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.[2] They lie buried in Toijala.[3] Before his death, Sirkesalo lived with his family for the last few years of his life in Klaukkala, Nurmijärvi.[4]

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 He had left a lot of unpublished music and lyrics before his death, which has been recorded by various artists.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

edit
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

edit
  1. ^ Mattila, Ilkka. "Muistot – Aki Sirkesalo". Helsingin Sanomat. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  2. ^ "Aki Sirkesalo". heavenslie.com.
  3. ^ Rantalainen, Tiia. "Aki Sirkesalon vanhemmat: "Oman lapsen kuolemaa ei voi unohtaa koskaan"". Iltalehti. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
  4. ^ 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.