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.
Self Control
Soraya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, the night is my world
City light painted girl
In the day nothing matters
It's the night time that flatters
In the night, no control
Through the wall something's breaking
Down the street of my soul
You take my self, you take my self control
You got me livin' only for the night
Before the morning comes, the story's told
You take my self, you take my self control
Another night, another day goes by
I never stop myself to wonder why
You make to me forget to play my role
You take my self, you take my self control
I, I live among the creatures of the night
I haven't got the will to try and fight
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it
That tomorrow never comes to get
night, I'm living in the moment of my dream
I know the night is not as it would seem
I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it
That this night will never go
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh
Oh, the night is my world
City light painted girl
In the day nothing matters
It's the night time that flatters
In the night, no control
Through the wall something's breaking
Wearing white as you're walkin'
Down the street of my soul
I, I live among the creatures of the night
I haven't got the will to try and fight
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it
That tomorrow never not
Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh,
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control
You take my self, you take my self control...
The song "Self Control" by Soraya speaks about the power of the night and the lack of control it brings upon oneself. The night takes away one's self-control and the ability to resist temptation. The city lights and the painted girl symbolize the seduction of the night. During the day, everything is practical and logical, but the night-time flatters and brings out one's hidden desires.
The lyrics talk about the struggle of living amidst the creatures of the night, where tomorrow never seems to come. One delves deep into the moment of their dream, and the night loses its charm as the reality hits. But the power of belief allows one to keep going, believing that the night will never end.
Furthermore, the song conveys the complexity of human nature that is submissive to moments of weakness and uncontrollable desires. The repeated line "You take my self, you take my self-control" emphasizes how powerfully the night can take over an individual's mind and body.
Overall, "Self Control" is a song that speaks about the power of the night and how it can take away our self-control and lead us into temptation. It reveals the struggle of living a life controlled by one's desires and emphasizes the importance of believing in oneself to overcome such situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the night is my world
The night is where I feel most alive and comfortable.
City light painted girl
I am like a city girl made vibrant and glamorous by the lights of the city.
In the day nothing matters
During the daytime, nothing seems to carry any weight or significance.
It's the night time that flatters
It is only during the night that I feel flattered and appreciated.
In the night, no control
In the night, I let go of control and allow myself to indulge.
Through the wall something's breaking
There is something that is breaking through the walls that I have put up around myself.
Wearing white as you're walkin'
The person walking towards me is dressed in all white.
Down the street of my soul
This person seems to be walking down my very soul.
You take my self, you take my self control
Your presence takes over me and I lose control of myself.
You got me livin' only for the night
I live for the night and your presence in it.
Before the morning comes, the story's told
Before the morning comes, our tale together has already been written.
Another night, another day goes by
Days and nights seem to blend together without any real significance.
I never stop myself to wonder why
I never question why I live only for the night and for you.
You make to me forget to play my role
Your presence in my life makes me forget about any other responsibilities or duties I have.
I, I live among the creatures of the night
I live among those who are also most alive during the night.
I haven't got the will to try and fight
I lack the willpower to resist the allure of the night and the presence of the person who takes over me.
Against a new tomorrow, so I guess I'll just believe it
I cannot bring myself to hope for a better tomorrow, so I choose to believe that there will be no tomorrow.
That tomorrow never comes to get
I do not let myself hope for a better tomorrow because it may never come.
I know the night is not as it would seem
I am aware that the night is not all that it appears to be on the surface.
I must believe in something, so I'll make myself believe it
Even though I know the truth, I choose to believe what I want to for my own sake.
That this night will never go
Even though I know that this night will come to an end, I am choosing to believe that it will last forever.
You take my self, you take my self control
You have a powerful hold over me, and I lose all control when you are around.
Contributed by Charlotte N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ed D
70, 80 y un poco de los 90... están las mejores canciones de la historia, voz, armonía, instrumentos, tonos, creatividad, todo es perfecto.
Bogdan Stefanica
Da
Vlad D
Она просто восхитительна со всех точек зрения!
Elias Félix
Que música incrível cantada pela soraya. Amo. ❤
Francisco Fernández
Magnifica canción y muy bien cantada por Soraya
Cristian Manni
Laura Branigham debe todo su éxito a los artistas italianos. Sin "Gloria" y "Ti amo" de Umberto Tozzi, y sin el "Self control" de Raf, Laura Branigham no era conocida por nadie
Arturo G. G. C.
Enorme talento de Soraya, que nos traslada en un viaje a nuestra juventud
Lukas
Excelente esta versión y transmite energía buena con el ritmo transformado a esta época. Nada mal, felicidades muy buena voz
Саида Хуако
Боже, красота неописуемая. А как она четко выступает. Одно восхищение
Карина Королёва
Согласна с Вами на 1000 %