Pate Mustajärvi’s death deeply touches Tampere native Aimo Korventausta, who has followed Popeda since the band’s early days.
Aimo Korventaus (left) became friends with Pate Mustajärvi, whom he admired, over the years. Photo from 2019. Aimo Korventautta’s home album
Vocalist Pate Mustajärvi death touches the people of Vantaa Aimo Korventäutaawho has followed Mustajärvi’s Popeda since the band’s early days.
– Yes, we will get over this before long, but the feelings are pretty dark right now, Korventaus says about the thoughts evoked by the sad news.
Originally from Tampere, Korventauta can be described as a real superfan. He says that he was there at Popeda’s first gig at Gorilla in Tampere in February 1978.
The performance of the rock band led by Mustajärvi left an indelible mark on young Korventauta.
– Something in that band just appealed. When I counted there once, I’ve seen about a thousand of Popeda’s gigs. In the best year, there would be 58 gigs.
The men got to know each other
Over the years, Korventaus was also able to get to know Mustajärvi, which he admired.
– Yes, even by force, we became reasonably good friends. He always came to cheer after the gigs, says Korventausta.
– With Paul, we have laughed many times and, of course, always had a few words about life – about life, getting old and all kinds of things.
The last time Korventau saw Mustajärvi was last fall at his solo gig. He had also bought several tickets for the next spring’s concerts, which were canceled in October due to a tumor found in Mustajärvi.
At that time, Korventau believed that he would still get to see Mustajärvi on stage.
– Yes, I firmly believed that one day there would still be some kind of gig to admire, says Korventausta.
– Here, of course, perhaps in the last few days, when I had heard the update, I had begun to suspect that he might not be seen on stage. But I thought that we could at least exchange a few words somewhere, and it wouldn’t turn out so darkly.
“The Biggest Man”
Judging by everything, Mustajärvi was a particularly important person for Korventausta.
– For me, Pate was the biggest person I’ve ever seen. No one can replace him, says Korventaus, his voice cracking.
The tickets bought for other bands’ concerts seem quite irrelevant at the time of the sad news.
– What do I do with them? It could tear everything apart when the guy who has been and will be the greatest of all no longer comes on stage.