A successful Colombian music star, she had two number-one songs on Billboard's Latin Pop Airplay charts. She won a 2004 Latin Grammy Award for the self titled album "Soraya" as "Best Album by Songwriter", which she produced, and a 2005 Latin Grammy Awards nomination for "Female Pop Vocal Album" for her album El Otro Lado de Mí (literally "The Other Side of Me"). She was the opening act for the 2005 Billboard Latin Music Awards. Her career spanned ten years, and she recorded five albums.
She was born Soraya Raquel Lamilla Cuevas in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, a year after her father, mother, and brother moved to the United States from their native Colombia. The family moved back to Colombia when she was a baby, but when Soraya was eight years old, they returned to New Jersey. "Soraya" is a very common name in the Middle East, and its meaning can be translated "rich" or "princess". Soraya's maternal side of the family was Lebanese Christians who emigrated from Lebanon to Colombia. Soraya's mother, Yamila Gharib Cuevas, had been a housewife in Colombia. Soraya's father, Gregorio, worked for an exporting company in Colombia; in the U.S., life was hard for the family, so to make ends meet, he worked three or four jobs.
Soraya first became interested in music at the age of five when she heard her uncle playing music in Colombia. Her uncle played "Pueblito Viejo", a Colombian traditional folk song using an instrument called the tiple, which is a kind of guitar with triple strings. Her parents bought her a guitar, which she taught herself how to play. She became proficient in classical violin, and her first 'public' performance was at Carnegie Hall in New York City as a member of the N.Y.C. Youth Philharmonic. She was valedictorian of her class at Point Pleasant Boro High School, where she began writing her own music.
Soraya was only twelve years old when her mother was first diagnosed with breast cancer; she was eighteen when her mother had a recurrence and twenty-two when her mother died, in 1992. Soraya had said that her sense of responsibility increased because she needed to take care of her mother and do all of the chores around the house. She would also go to the doctor's office with her mother; together they did breast-cancer research and participated in the Race for the Cure.
Soraya attended Rutgers University in New Jersey, where she studied English literature, French philosophy, and women's studies. Initially, Soraya worried she might be too shy to play before big crowds, but she eventually triumphed over her fear and realized her tremendous talent as a live performer when she played to rapt audiences at coffee houses and rallies around the sprawling Rutgers campus. She worked as a flight attendant before starting her music career.
Soraya obtained a record contract with Polygram Records/Island Records in 1996. Her first album, released simultaneously in both English and Spanish was titled "On Nights Like This / En Esta Noche". Both versions received positive critical acclaim and enabled her to tour in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe, as a guest performer in concerts for famous musicians such as Natalie Merchant, Zucchero, Sting, Michael Bolton, and Alanis Morissette.
Her songs climbed to the top of the charts just about everywhere in Latin American, European, and U.S.' Hispanic markets. Her first single "Suddenly/De Repente" reached #1 in Billboard Latin Pop listings, with the English version receiving some mainstream Adult Contemporary airplay. Her second album, Torre de Marfil / Wall of Smiles, titled after a song co-written with her idol Carole King was released in late 1997, and helped her attain worldwide recognition.
Unfortunately, in 2000, she was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer, shortly after the release of her third album "Cuerpo y Alma / I'm Yours" — just days before she was about to tour and promote it. She took time off to fight this deadful disease.
Feeling healthy and in remission, Soraya returned to the music scene in 2003 with the release of her fourth and self-titled album "Soraya". The songs reflected her struggles, beliefs, and love for life. She composed, produced, and arranged this Latin Grammy winner for "Best Album by a Singer-Songwriter" and once again - Soraya was at the top.
She created one more successful album - "El Otro Lado de Mí", before she finally succumbed to the disease in 2006.
Soraya died of breast cancer on May 10, 2006, aged 37. She was first diagnosed in 2000, at the age of 31, after finding a lump while conducting a routine self-examination. She was diagnosed at Stage III and had a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction as well as radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In addition to her own death, Soraya lost her mother, a grandmother, and a maternal aunt to breast cancer.
Breast cancer advocateSoraya was a breast cancer advocate for support and education, especially of Hispanic women. Soraya became the first Latin spokesperson for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, touring the Americas to raise awareness. During September and October, she took a break from her music career to focus on breast awareness.
In order to encourage other women like herself, Soraya wrote and recorded "No One Else/Por Ser Quien Soy", a song that reflects her experience in fighting breast cancer. Both tracks can be downloaded on her official website. All proceeds benefit the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
"I know there are many questions without answers, and that hope doesn't leave with me, and above all, that my mission does not end with my physical story" were Soraya's last words to her fans and the media before her passing.
Face To Face
Soraya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Could this be my understanding
It's not your fault i was being too demanding
I must admit it's my pride that made me distant
All because i hoped that you'd be someone different
There's not much i know about you
Fear will always make you blind
But the answer is in clear view
I turned away because i thought you were the problem
Tried to forget until i hit the bottom
But when i faced you in my blank confusion
I realized you weren't wrong, it was a mere illusion
It really didn't make sense
Just to leave this unresolved
It's not hard to go the distance
When you finally get involved face to face
The lyrics of Soraya's "Face To Face" tell the story of a person who made judgments too quickly and pushed someone away. We often have the tendency to create unrealistic expectations of people, and when they do not meet those expectations, we become distant instead of communicating our needs. The singer admits that their pride was the reason for their distance and that they hoped the other person would be someone different. However, fear of the unknown and lack of effort to understand the other person blinded them. The singer realizes that they need to face the other person to find the answers they seek.
The second verse talks about the realization that they were wrong about the other person and the judgment was a mere illusion. It is common for us to project our insecurities and fears onto others, making us see them in a negative light. The singer admits to turning away and trying to forget, but ultimately, they hit rock bottom before finally facing the person they had pushed away. They learned that leaving things unresolved does not make sense, yet it is not hard to go the distance when we finally get involved face to face. The power of communicating directly with that person and having a meaningful conversation is much greater than assuming things from afar.
Overall, "Face to Face" is a song about learning to overcome fears and insecurities and facing people head-on. It teaches us that communication is key, and negativity is not always a reflection of reality. By facing our fears and communicating directly, we can find clarity and resolution.
Line by Line Meaning
What's going on?
Soraya is questioning what is happening in her relationship.
Could this be my understanding
Soraya wonders if she has misunderstood the situation.
It's not your fault i was being too demanding
Soraya acknowledges that she was putting too much pressure on the other person.
I must admit it's my pride that made me distant
Soraya realizes that her pride caused her to distance herself from the other person.
All because i hoped that you'd be someone different
Soraya confesses that she had unrealistic expectations of the other person.
There's not much i know about you
Soraya admits that she doesn't know the other person very well.
Fear will always make you blind
Soraya reflects that fear can cloud your judgment and perception.
But the answer is in clear view
Soraya believes that the solution is obvious.
It's amazing what you'll find face to face
Soraya realizes that communicating in person is the best way to resolve issues.
I turned away because i thought you were the problem
Soraya explains that she blamed the other person for the issues in their relationship.
Tried to forget until i hit the bottom
Soraya attempted to ignore the problem until it reached a breaking point.
But when i faced you in my blank confusion
Soraya confronted the other person despite feeling confused.
I realized you weren't wrong, it was a mere illusion
Soraya recognized that she had been mistaken about the other person's actions and intentions.
It really didn't make sense
Soraya admits that her behavior was illogical.
Just to leave this unresolved
Soraya acknowledges that not addressing the problem was not productive.
It's not hard to go the distance
Soraya believes that working through issues in a relationship is not a difficult task.
When you finally get involved face to face
Soraya emphasizes the importance of communicating face to face in order to resolve issues.
Contributed by Leo E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Migueluki
Pues a mi me mola, no soy amante de las versiones, pero este disco y el de dolce vita son muy buenos, y soraya en directo tb es muy buena por que he visto sus directos por ver si era buena o no, y me convencio
Игорь Сапрыкин
Отлично!!!!!!!!
*ЮРИЙ ПЕРСИК*&*HELEN A.*!!Amen
The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love;
O the red rose is a falcon,
And the white rose is a dove.
But I send you a cream-white rosebud
With a flush on its petal tips;
For the love that is purest and sweetest
Has a kiss of desire on the lips.
marcos martinez garcia
guapa y guapa y mas guapa me encantas tu voz es impresionante y tu claro
upfrontbear74
Piratebay, it has all of her albums on it, the 2 with all the 80s covers one are called Ochenta's and Dolce Vita
deejay70
Hi upfrontbear74 i enjoy her songs where can I download them? thanks
upfrontbear74
If you send me a message, I will tell you of a site you can download this from
Esteban Perea Carrillo
xo porque ese rollo techonisimo dance cutrillo a lo kate ryan?esta cancion es mitica y no se merece esto.LO mismo con just can't get enough,no.Self control x eso no le qedo mal del todo xo q vamos q no. QUE TE ACUESTES !!!
jose molina
la musica no va con esta cancion, es una cancion muy bella y con la voz de soraya seria mejor, en fin