Marina Takalo, lament singer. Photo by Topi Myllylä
Marina Takalo (1890–1970), born in White Sea Karelia, moved to Heikkilä village in Kuusamo with her husband Olli Takalo, aka Nikita.
The family that came to Finland as refugees lived in dozens of places around Finland and in Kuusamo, for example in Määttälänvaara. Finally, in Heikkilä’s Kenttäniemi, Marina Takalo felt like she had come home:
“When I row to the shore, my heart laughs that I have my own home, that I go to my own house.”
In Kenttäniemi, the couple had their first real home. Marina Takalo lived in Kenttäniemi for six years between 1955 and 1961, after that she lived in Kemi with her children.
The locals remember how Marina Takalo used to sing while she was visiting people. In Heikkilä, the family first lived in a sauna, which is why Marina was called Sauna-Mari. The family lived by fishing and Marina baked bread for sell. The house was modest, but Marina was happy with her own home.
A relief has been erected in Kuusamo’s city centre in memory of Marina Takalo, the singer of laments and runes. The monument designed by artist Nina Salo can be found in the park next to Kuusamo College (Kitkantie 35).
In Kemi, where Marina Takalo is buried, there is a Marina Takalo Street and a bronze memorial relief of Takalo in the city library of Kemi (Sanna Koivisto 1991).
Marina Takalo (1890–1970) is the best-known rune singer in the area north of Uhtua. More than 60 hours of recordings of Takalo’s rune singing has been recorded.
Marina Takalo received the recognition award of the Kalevala Society in 1965.