Aki Sirkesalo

• Name — Aki Sirkesalo • Birth Name — Aki Pekka Antero Sirkesalo • Born — 25 July 1962 • Birthplace — Toijala, Finland • Died — 26 December 2004 • Place of death — Khao Lak, Thailand • Instrument — Vocals • Genre — Funk, soul, rock, pop • Occupation — Singer, musician, songwriter, broadcaster • Years Active — 1984–2004 • Label — Sony Music Entertainment

Sirkesalo started his public career in 1984 as an announcer in the Yle 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.

Sirkesalo drowned after being struck by the Indian Ocean tsunami while on holiday in Khao Lak, Thailand, on 25 December 2004, which also killed his wife Johanna, 38, and their eight-year-old son Sampo and four-year-old daughter Saana. They lie buried in Toijala. Before his death, Sirkesalo lived with his family for the last few years of his life in Klaukkala, Nurmijärvi. 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 He had left a lot of unpublished music and lyrics before his death, which has been recorded by various artists.

• 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 — —