Marko Lämsä died last April at only 47 years old.
Sad news came from Tampere at the end of April – tango king Marko Lämsä had died suddenly at only 47 years old.
Lämsä, a talented singer from Oulu, came to the attention of tango circles already in 2004, when he was crowned tango prince at the Seinäjoki tango market. Lämsä regained his title the following year, but the coveted title of tango king was still unattainable at that time.
In retrospect, Lämsä thought it was only a good thing.
– It was good that I could mature and develop in peace. I knew how to start my own company even before I won, and it was a wise, if challenging, decision. It hasn’t always been easy, but little by little I’ve gotten to the bottom of everyday life as an entrepreneur, Lämsä told Iltalehte in 2010.
In 2006, Lämsä finally won the title of tango king. In the same year, Elina Vettenranta was crowned tango queen.
– Yes, I already heard during the games that he has a really wonderful voice. A bit like that, even a classical type, ringing and tenor-like. Yes, I thought then that Marko would probably win. He was my favorite, Vettenranta recalled in April.
Tango royalty Elina Vettenranta and Marko Lämsä celebrate their victory at the Seinäjoki tango market in July 2006. Kari Pekonen
Typically for the tango king of that time, Lämsä had wild gigs, there were up to 100 of them a year.
In the coronation year, Lämsä’s debut album was also released Forever yours. Lämsa’s second album You are everything was published two years later.
Music had always been present in Lämsä’s life. Before the title of tango king, Lämsä worked as a music host on Viking Line cruises.
In the early days of his career, Lämsä said that he heard a lot of doubts about his skills.
– I was once told that you will become nothing at all. I have made the impossible possible. Anyone can do it, as long as they can believe in themselves and their own path. It’s good to listen to professionals, but it’s good to keep your head so that you don’t get involved in all the crazy things.
In addition to music, sports played a big role in Lämsä’s life, and Lämsä trained as a personal trainer in 2016.
Lämsä started publishing to his Instagram account in addition to gig photos, also training photos.
Before training as a personal trainer, Lämsä suffered from depression. The background was a separation from a 12-year cohabitation.
– Depression crept into life quite unexpectedly, it was scary. The food didn’t taste good, I lost ten kilos, I was tired and couldn’t sleep, my energy was at zero. It felt like I was trying to present something completely different from what I was, he told Iltalehte.
After the depression subsided, Lämsä made a lifestyle overhaul, and alcohol use and an unhealthy diet were left behind, and gym workouts came instead.
Lämsä was also involved in musicals and various musical performances.
Various competitions focused on singing were also fascinating. In 2016, Lämsä participated in the Talent Finland competition.
– I have a natural force inside me. Now let’s spread those wings and show what Marko is made of! Lämsä declared Ilta-Sanom at Talent at the time.
– I do this work out of passion. So, in practice, I don’t do work at all, because once it’s found, it doesn’t feel like work, he said at Talent.
There was no win in the program, but Talent was won by a leather trumpet player Antton Puonti.
In 2019, Lämsä progressed in The Voice of Finland all the way to the duels.
In March 2019, Lämsa became a father.
– I’ve held a lot in my hands, but never anything like you. Daddy’s girl, Lämsä wrote on Instagram.
In 2019-2021, Lämsä performed on the Golden Abba Show. Lämsa was seen in the role of Benny Andersson.
Something happened as we entered the 2020s.
Getting serious
After the death, Iltalehti visited Lämsa’s home in Tampere. The neighbor said that Lämsä became serious in his last years of life.
– He lost weight and somehow became isolated. It was the corona years, and the man had few gigs.
Marko Lämsä lived in Tampere. Juha Veli Jokinen
During the corona years, Lämsä advertised private gigs on Instagram.
– In the summer, a flock of pulu often sat on the railing of his balcony. I suspected that he had a fiancee somewhere else and the man wasn’t home much, or he was on gigs.
– The Wolt drivers often brought him food, the neighbor of the four-story house said he noticed.
Lämsä’s death was met with shock in music circles. The tango king of 2008, Jukka Hallikainen, told Iltalehte in April that he had been in contact with Lämsä since the beginning of the year.
– We planned summer jobs and golf trips. We weren’t in contact on a daily basis, but we always exchanged information. Both had their own busy schedule, Hallikainen said.
Lämsa’s passing was a surprise to Hallikainen.
– A young man. A year younger than me, so it’s definitely a big surprise that this has happened. In my opinion, everything was bright. She had a 6-year-old child who was the light of her life. Everything looked good. Marko worked out hard, because he was a personal trainer.
Lämsä and Hallikainen had met each other in 2006 at the Tango market. Together with Risto Nevala, they founded in 2009 The Tale of the Three Kings-show and performed as a trio on ships for 15 years.
– I didn’t see anything that could have led to this situation. There were no signs in the air. A very sad event. A good friend left too soon, Hallikainen said.
Marko Lämsä was only 47 years old when he died. JUKKA TÖYLI