Soraya (singer)
Soraya , born Soraya Raquel Lamilla Cuevas (born March 11, 1969 in Point Pleasant , New Jersey , † May 10, 2006 in Miami , Florida ) was a Colombian - American songwriter , singer and musician .
life and career
Soraya Raquel Lamilla was born on March 11, 1969 in New Jersey, the second child of Colombian immigrants . Soraya had to return to Colombia with her family; however, when she was eight years old, they moved back to New Jersey. Soraya is a name widely used in the Middle East ; her maternal family consisted of Christian emigrants from Lebanon .
Soraya learned to play the guitar at the age of five and later the violin . The songs that lead to her debut album On Nights Like This in 1996 were written during her studies. It also appeared in Spanish under the name En Esta Noche . Soraya dedicated this album to the memory of her deceased mother (" Dedico este disco a la memoria de mi mamá. En esta noche sé que siempre estás conmigo. ") She soon played in the opening act for well-known artists such as Sting , Alanis Morissette and Zucchero and quickly became a star in Latin America and the United States. In 2004 she won a Latin Grammy .
Since her mother Yamila Cuevas Gharib, her grandmother and one of her aunts had died of breast cancer , Soraya became involved with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation . She was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000 at the age of 31, which she succumbed to on May 10, 2006 at the age of 37. Soraya said goodbye to her friends and fans on May 9, 2006 - the day before her death - in a letter posted on her official website in Spanish and English . Her last album was El otro lado de mí (German: The other side of me ).
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 DE
|
 Latin
|
|||
| 1996 | En Esta Noche / On Nights Like This |
DE5 (40 weeks) DE |
Latin31 (12 weeks) Latin |
First published: February 6, 1996
|
| 1997 | Torre de Marfil / Wall of Smiles |
DE63 (5 weeks) DE |
- |
First published: October 21, 1997
|
| 2003 | Soraya | - |
Latin25 (13 weeks) Latin |
|
More albums
- 2000: Cuerpo y Alma / I'm Yours
- 2005: El Otro Lado de Wed
- 2005: Éxitos Eternos
- 2006: Herencia
- 2006: Entre Su Ritmo y El Silencio
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
DE
|
Latin
|
|||
| 1996 | De Repente / Suddenly En Esta Noche / On Nights Like This |
DE64 (9 weeks) DE |
Latin5 (11 weeks) Latin |
First published: March 1996
|
| Amor En Tus Ojos En Esta Noche / On Nights Like This |
- |
Latin6 (11 weeks) Latin |
||
| Quédate / Stay Awhile En Esta Noche / On Nights Like This |
DE86 (9 weeks) DE |
Latin25 (11 weeks) Latin |
First published: July 1996
|
|
| 2003 | Casi Soraya |
- |
Latin1 (17 weeks) Latin |
|
| Solo Por Ti Soraya |
- |
Latin18 (14 weeks) Latin |
||
| 2005 | Llevame El Otro Lado de Wed |
- |
Latin15 (11 weeks) Latin |
|
more publishments
- 1997: Avalanche
- 1998: So Far Away
- 1998: Crossroads
- 2000: I'm Yours
- 2003: Almost
Web links
- Soraya sound carrier in the catalog of the German National Library
- Official website of Soraya
- Biography on laut.de
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Soraya |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Lamilla Cuevas, Soraya Raquel (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Colombian-American songwriter, singer and musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 11, 1969 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Point Pleasant , New Jersey, United States |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 10, 2006 |
| Place of death | Miami , Florida, United States |