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.
Tiempo
Soraya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
fué distinto esta vez
sentí en mis ojos el sol
las nubes de mi niñez
sobre una frase en susurro
volé en mi cuento, mi pensamiento
mi propia voz es la que arrulla
quise robarle al tiempo
volver a descubrir
quise entender si el viento es el mismo que me inspira
que me enfría
que me pega
que me quita why me da. . .
entre la paz why el silencio
entrego todo otra vez
sin apostar ni un segundo
cuidándome de un porque
sigo escribiendo en mis manos
la historia entre sus líneas: el aire, la sonrisa
lo que siento es lo que tengo
sin olvidarme que soy la suma de mis versos
quise robarle al tiempo
volver a descubrir
quise entender si el viento es el mismo que me inspira
que me enfría
que me pega
que me quita why me da. . .
The lyrics of Soraya's song "Tiempo" are reflective and introspective, as the singer looks back on her life and experiences. In the opening verse, she describes how this particular time that she has looked back is different, as she feels the warmth of the sun and is reminded of her childhood. Throughout the song, Soraya reflects on the passage of time and how it affects us all. She muses on the swirling emotions that life can bring, from joy to sorrow, and how we are all shaped by our own personal stories.
In the chorus, Soraya expresses a desire to understand the passage of time, to see if the wind that blows is the same that once inspired her, or if it has changed. She wants to recapture lost time and rediscover things she may have forgotten. Despite this, she embraces the present and accepts that she is the sum of her experiences.
The song explores themes of nostalgia, memory, and self-reflection. Soraya highlights the importance of acknowledging the past, while not getting lost in it, and holding onto the memories that define us.
Line by Line Meaning
hoy volví a mirar atrás
Today I looked back again
fué distinto esta vez
It was different this time
sentí en mis ojos el sol
I felt the sun in my eyes
las nubes de mi niñez
Childhood clouds
sobre una frase en susurro
On a whispered phrase
volé en mi cuento, mi pensamiento
I flew in my tale, my thoughts
mi propia voz es la que arrulla
My own voice is the one that lulls
mi alegría, why mi lamento
My joy, and my sorrow
quise robarle al tiempo
I wanted to steal from time
volver a descubrir
To rediscover
quise entender si el viento es el mismo que me inspira
I wanted to understand if the wind that inspires me is the same
que me enfría
That chills me
que me pega
That hits me
que me quita why me da. . .
That takes from me and gives me...
entre la paz why el silencio
Between peace and silence
entrego todo otra vez
I give everything again
sin apostar ni un segundo
Without betting on a single second
cuidándome de un porque
Taking care of a why
sigo escribiendo en mis manos
I keep writing in my hands
la historia entre sus líneas: el aire, la sonrisa
The story between the lines: the air, the smile
lo que siento es lo que tengo
What I feel is what I have
sin olvidarme que soy la suma de mis versos
Without forgetting that I am the sum of my verses
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SORAYA LAMILLA, GIAN MARCO ZIGNAGO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
El Pirata Cristiano
Maravillosa Voz de Soraya!! Gran Composicion del Peruano Gian Marco.
Andrés Felipe Martínez González
Gian Marco participa como co-escritor al lado de Soraya
leticia contreras
Hoy volví a mirar atrás, fué distinto esta vez
sentí en mis ojos el sol, las nubes de mi niñez
Sobre una frase en susurro
volé en mi cuento, mi pensamiento
mi propia voz es la que arrulla
mi alegría, y mi lamento
Quise robarle al tiempo, volver a descubrir
quise entender si el viento es el mismo que me inspira
que me enfría que me pega que me quita y me da
Entre la paz y el silencio, entrego todo otra vez
sin apostar ni un segundo
cuidándome de un porque
Sigo escribiendo en mis manos
la historia entre sus líneas: el aire, la sonrisa
lo que quiero es lo que tengo
sin olvidarme que soy la suma de mis versos
Quise robarle al tiempo, volver a descubrir
quise entender si el viento es el mismo que me inspira
que me enfría que me pega
que me quita y me da.
Arely Segura
Una joya de Gian Marco y Soraya q.e.p.d. excelente composición!
Money D. Román
Dejen de nombrar a nuestro pelado Gianmarco el es grande por si solo.