Thea Hjelmeland

In a little village, inside one of Norway's deep fjords, the young Thea Hjelmeland was raised in a family where music was present before she even could walk. As far as she knows she has always been singing, and as the years passed by she picked up instrument after instrument. One day she found an old mandolin at home. As her father collected instruments and filled the house with treasures, this was not an unusual occasion. But this mandolin was from Sicily in Italy, and it was 115 years old. The journey this mandolin already had had, was just the beginning of a new one. And the combination of the Norwegian singer's voice, and this small instrument, started a new chapter. The young singer moved early away from home, and studied music for a couple of years. After having started a band, winning big competitions, played in small bars and big festivals all over Norway, recorded an EP and started to record an album, she was tired of the cold weather... She left the project, and went traveling. After months in Morocco and Cuba, and years with her suitcase as home, she found her way to Paris. With new songs and influences she finished her album in 2009. She is now based in France, were the album will be released next spring, touring in Scandinavia and south of Europe. On her travels she has picked up new instruments, and with her on stage she brings different types; ukulele, banjo and mandolin, to piano and accordion. Growing up with rhythm & blues, soul music and world music, she started to create her own thing. She plays acoustic pop, but the influences of music and travels can be heard in her style and lyrics. Her voice can make even the toughest man cry, reaching from the highest to the deepest notes, powerful or soft. Her playfulness in music and her presence on stage gives audience a rare adventure. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.