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.
Tarzan Boy
Soraya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm far away from nowhere
On my own like tarzan boy
Hide and seek
I play along while rushing cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Jungle life
I'm living in the open
Burning bright
A fire the blows the signal to the sky
I sit and wonder does the message get to you
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other world
Jungle life
You're far away from nothing
It's all right
You won't miss home
Take a chance
Leave everything behind you
Come and join me
Won't be sorry
It's easy to survive
Jungle life
We're living in the open
All alone like tarzan boy
Hide and seek
We play along while rushing cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight
Oh yeah
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Night to night
You won't play
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight
Oh yeah
Night to night
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
The lyrics of Soraya's song Tarzan Boy express a longing for a life in the jungle, far away from civilization. The singer describes their life as if they were Tarzan, living on their own in the wilderness without any modern comforts. They play hide and seek and monkey around on sunny afternoons, living according to the native beat that carries on in the background. The lyrics paint a picture of an idyllic existence, free from the constraints of society.
The chorus of the song seems to express a desire to escape from this world and experience something new. The singer wants to be taken to "the other world" - a place where they can experience new things and live a different kind of life. The repetition of the phrase "gimme the other, gimme the other" reinforces this desire for change and exploration.
Overall, Soraya's Tarzan Boy is a wistful exploration of the possibility of escape and a celebration of the beauty of life lived free from the shackles of modernity.
Line by Line Meaning
Jungle life
Living in the jungle.
I'm far away from nowhere
Being deep in the jungle where civilization is nowhere to be seen.
On my own like Tarzan boy
Being self-sufficient and independent like the jungle hero Tarzan.
Hide and seek
Playing games of hide and seek in the jungle.
I play along while rushing cross the forest
Playing games while running through the jungle.
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Enjoying playful activities with monkeys on a warm summer day.
I'm living in the open
Being exposed to the elements and living without walls or roofs.
Native beat that carries on
Hearing and feeling the rhythm of the local music.
Burning bright
Having a strong passion or energy that shines through.
A fire the blows the signal to the sky
A signal fire that's visible from far away.
I sit and wonder does the message get to you
Reflecting on the possibility that the signals sent may not be received.
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Asking for something different or new.
Chance tonight
The possibility of something exciting happening tonight.
You're far away from nothing
Being very distant from civilization.
It's all right
Feeling okay with the situation.
You won't miss home
Not feeling homesick due to the adventurous lifestyle.
Take a chance
Seizing an opportunity that presents itself.
Leave everything behind you
Leaving behind one's previous life and starting anew.
Come and join me
Inviting others to share in the adventure.
Won't be sorry
Assuring one that the adventure would be worthwhile.
It's easy to survive
Feeling confident in one's ability to survive in the jungle.
We're living in the open
Living without boundaries or confines.
All alone like Tarzan boy
Living independently without the need for others.
You won't play
Choosing to not participate in a particular activity.
Night to night
Trying to make the most of each night in the jungle.
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tess Eric
oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Jungle life
I'm far away from nowhere
On my own like Tarzan boy
Hide and seek
I play along while rushing 'cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Jungle life
I'm living in the open
Native beat that carries on
Burning bright
A fire blows the signal to the sky
I sit and wonder, does the message get to you?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other world
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Jungle life
You're far away from nothing
It's all right
You won't miss home
Take a chance
Leave everything behind you
Come and join me, won't be sorry
It's easy to survive
Jungle life
We're living in the open
All alone like Tarzans, boy
Hide and seek
We play along while rushing 'cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight, oh yeah
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Night to night
You won't play
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight, oh yeah
Night to night, night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Tess Eric
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Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Jungle life
I'm far away from nowhere
On my own like Tarzan boy
Hide and seek
I play along while rushing 'cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Jungle life
I'm living in the open
Native beat that carries on
Burning bright
A fire blows the signal to the sky
I sit and wonder, does the message get to you?
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other world
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Jungle life
You're far away from nothing
It's all right
You won't miss home
Take a chance
Leave everything behind you
Come and join me, won't be sorry
It's easy to survive
Jungle life
We're living in the open
All alone like Tarzans, boy
Hide and seek
We play along while rushing 'cross the forest
Monkey business on a sunny afternoon
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight, oh yeah
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Night to night
You won't play
Night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Chance tonight, oh yeah
Night to night, night to night
Gimme the other, gimme the other
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, o
João Gomides
Soraya.a melhor e linda cantora
Joaquim Bernardino
canta muito belissima voz,,,
Junior Ribamar
Muito talentosa alem de muito linda! Com todo respeito.
Jose Salazar
Que linda Soraya , que bonita canción de los 80s.
Claudia MMoraes
Linda, com uma bela voz!
Jose Cicero De Oliveira Cicero
Soraya nasceu pra música,além de ser linda....
ramon perez
Wow! Baltimora songs are so cool. But to actually listen to any of their songs again in a more modern times is Awesome. And to make things even much better....... The female version sounds super cool!!!! 👍😎
Mi Mi
The best version for me
vikky867
Beautiful ladies and catchy expressions..love this!
Михаил Тетенькин
Ни сколько не уступает оригинальной версии , мощный ремикс .🌙