Soraya (born Soraya Raquel Lamilla Cuevas; March 11, 1969 – May 10, 2006) w… Read Full Bio ↴Soraya (born Soraya Raquel Lamilla Cuevas; March 11, 1969 – May 10, 2006) was a Colombian-american singer/songwriter, guitarist, arranger and record producer.

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.

I Got You
Soraya Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Just twenty minutes to go
I’m gettin’ ready, you know
Just need some time and then space
Is there a party to go?
My heart feels the rhythm tonight
I’m gonna stay up late

Come on invite me, I’m gonna make you sweat

Come on invite me, there’s no rest, I swear
'Cause you know all I got
Partying is the only way

Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you
Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you

Just twenty minutes, no more
Before I never let go
Under the colors you know there’s no stress
Maybe I’ll give you a call
There ain’t no romance for us
Thanks for coming around

Come on invite me, I’m gonna make you sweat
Come on invite me, there’s no rest, I swear
'Cause you know all I got
Partying is the only way

Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you
Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you

I got you, I got you, I got you...

It's true, It's true, It's true...

Come on invite me, I’m gonna make you sweat
Come on invite me, there’s no rest, I swear
'Cause you know all I got
Partying is the only way

Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you

It's true, It's true, It's true...

Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body
Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you
Every dance's just for me
It’s the way I rock my body

Every guy that I meet every night
Tonight I got you...

Overall Meaning

In Soraya's song "I Got You", the singer is getting ready to go out to a party, asking if there is a party to go to. The chorus of the song is repeating the words "every dance's just for me, it's the way I rock my body", emphasizing the singer's focus on enjoying herself and dancing for the sake of her own pleasure. She also sings about meeting different guys every night, but tonight it's different because she's got the person she wants. The line "there ain't no romance for us" suggests that the relationship with this person might not be a romantic one but rather a friendship or maybe even a business partnership, but she's still happy to have them by her side.

The song sends a positive and carefree message about enjoying oneself and not needing anyone's validation. The singer is comfortable in her own skin and enjoys dancing and meeting new people. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the importance of self-love and self-validation. Soraya's smooth voice combined with the upbeat and lively rhythm makes the song catchy and perfect for dancing.

Line by Line Meaning

Just twenty minutes to go
There's not much time left before I go out

I'm gettin' ready, you know
I'm preparing myself for a night out

Just need some time and then space
I need a little time to myself before heading out

Is there a party to go?
Is there a party happening somewhere that I can attend?

My heart feels the rhythm tonight
I'm feeling excited and ready to dance

I'm gonna stay up late
I plan on being out all night

Come on invite me, I'm gonna make you sweat
Please invite me to the party so I can dance and have a good time, and maybe even make you sweat with my dance moves

Come on invite me, there's no rest, I swear
I won't stop until I have a good time tonight, so please invite me to the party

'Cause you know all I got
All I have is my love for partying and dancing

Partying is the only way
Partying and dancing is the only way I know how to have fun

Every dance's just for me
Each dance I do is just for myself and my own enjoyment

It's the way I rock my body
I dance in my own unique way, with my own style

Every guy that I meet every night
I meet new guys every time I go out dancing

Tonight I got you
Tonight, I have your attention and I plan on making the most of it

Just twenty minutes, no more
I can only spare twenty more minutes before leaving

Before I never let go
Before I stop having a good time and leave the party

Under the colors you know there's no stress
The atmosphere of the party is relaxed and stress-free

Maybe I'll give you a call
I might call you later if I want to hang out again

There ain't no romance for us
We're not looking for anything romantic, just a good time