Maria Arredondo started her singing career early. By the age of 10, she had… Read Full Bio ↴Maria Arredondo started her singing career early. By the age of 10, she had already participated in some local concerts in her home town Vennesla. After that, Arredondo spent some time developing her own style. In March 2003, Arredondo released her first album Maria Arredondo by Universal Music Norway. The album was a success in Norway, attaining the highest possible scores from an important Norwegian newspaper, VG.

In November 2004, Arredondo released her second album, Not Going Under. This was the first album to have videos from the singles, as Arredondo did not produce any videos for her first album.

After Arredondo released her album, Min Jul (My christmas) (some tracks produced and arranged by Jon Lord of Deep Purple), she made some shows and then took a break.

Arredondo was among other contributions of singers like Marit Larsen in the song "For a Friend" and Marion Raven in the song "That Day", Both members of the defunct band M2M.

Arredondo's three albums have combined sales of over 150,000.

On 12 November 2007, she released her first album in two years, For A Moment. The first single from this album, "Brief and Beautiful" became a monster-hit throughout the fall. "Brief and Beautiful" was written by Hanne Sørvaag and Harry Sommerdahl, and a Spanish-language adaptation of this song called "Fue para los dos" was released earlier in 2007 by Spanish singer Edurne.

Her fourth album was met with mixed reviews. On the album, "Even when you're with me" is a cover of the Spanish singer Chenoa's "Me Enamoro Del Dolor", and "If You Could Only See Me" was originally recorded by another Norwegian artist called Ina.

In the fall of 2007, it was also announced that Arredondo will star as Maria Von Trapp in the Sound of Music, which went to be a major production in Norway - premiering in the fall of 2008. This was the first major production of the Sound of Music in Norway in about 20 years (Sissel Kyrkjebø played the part as Maria Von Trapp back then).

Arredondo entered the qualifying rounds of the Melodi Grand Prix 2010 (the Norwegian selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest) on 16 January 2010 and was voted through to the national final, with the song "The Touch", which is written by Rolf Løvland.

Today,/2013) Maria works (beside her singing career) 20% in Heggedal church, Asker.

Maria Arredondo was recording a solo album in the studio, and the album "Heime Nå" was released June 2013.

Albums:

Maria Arredondo (2003)
Not Going Under (2004)
Min Jul (2005)
For a Moment (2007)
Sound of Musicals (2008)
Heime nå (2013)

Singles:

«Can let Go» (2003)
«Just a Little Heartache» (2003)
«In Love With an Angel» (2003)
«Hardly Hurts at All» (2003)
«A Thousand Nights» (2003)
«Mad Summer» (2004)
«Burning» (2004)
«Cross Every River» (2005)
«On Christmas Day» (2006)
«Brief and Beautiful» (2007)
«Kyrie Eleison» (2007)
«The Touch» (2010)
«Det jeg har gitt fra meg» (2013)
«Heime nå» (2013)

Himmel på jord
Maria Arredondo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Jeg snublet omkring i svarteste natten
Da tente du stjernen med lys ifra deg
Jeg følte meg ensom og tom og forlatt
Da du viste du tenkte på meg

Jeg hutret og frøs da du gav meg din varme
Du så vel at jorda var naken og kald
Du lengtet til meg, og du sendte meg barnet

Og viste meg vei til en stall

Himmel på jord
En glede så stor
Jeg er'ke alene
Her jeg bor

Jeg sloss og jeg led, gjorde alt for å vinne
Da hørte jeg englene synge om fred
Legg våpnene ned, det er jul du må finne
En fred inni hjertet et sted

Himmel på jord
En nåde så stor
Jeg er'ke alene
Her jeg bor

Hver gang jeg ser opp på min himmel så vet jeg
At undrenes under er det som har hendt
Jeg føler meg trygg for jeg slipper å lete
Nå vet jeg hvor stjernen ble tent

Himmel på jord
En nåde så stor
Jeg er'ke alene
Her jeg bor

Jeg er'ke alene her jeg bor
Jeg er'ke alene her jeg bor

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Maria Arredondo's song Himmel på jord (Heaven on Earth in English) talk about finding hope and warmth in the darkest of nights. The singer begins by describing how lost and alone they felt, stumbling around in the pitch-black. But then, along came someone - most likely a lover or a friend - who brought light to their life. This person kindled a star with their own light, and the singer knew they were being thought of even when they felt abandoned.

As the song progresses, we learn that this person provides not just emotional warmth but also physical comfort. They share their own warmth with the singer, recognizing how cold and exposed the earth can be. And ultimately, they show the singer the way to a stable where a miracle has occurred - the birth of a child who will later bring peace to the world. With this image of a newborn infant, the song suggests that hope and joy can come from unexpected places, even in the midst of suffering.

The chorus repeats the phrase "Himmel på jord" several times, emphasizing the idea of finding heaven on earth. The singer repeats that they are not alone in their struggle, that there is a grace that surrounds them. And in the final verse, they acknowledge that they have found the answer they were seeking - they don't have to search for the star anymore. They know now where it came from.

Overall, the song is a message of hope and an assertion that even in the darkest of nights, there can be light and that we can find peace within ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

Jeg snublet omkring i svarteste natten
I was lost in the darkest of nights

Da tente du stjernen med lys ifra deg
Then you lit the star with your light

Jeg følte meg ensom og tom og forlatt
I felt lonely, empty, and abandoned

Da du viste du tenkte på meg
When you showed me that you were thinking of me

Jeg hutret og frøs da du gav meg din varme
I shivered and froze, but you gave me your warmth

Du så vel at jorda var naken og kald
You could see that the earth was bare and cold

Du lengtet til meg, og du sendte meg barnet
You longed for me, and you sent me the child

Og viste meg vei til en stall
And showed me the way to a stable

Himmel på jord
Heaven on earth

En glede så stor
A joy so great

Jeg er'ke alene
I am not alone