Customer Reviews

Otro Lado De Mi

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Soraya was an amazing person & her music will hit your soul.

Please read this article she wrote for a magazine

Beautiful words
Tomorrow by Soraya in 2005:

The tragedy of the tsunami that hit South Asia this past December, the pain and suffering surrounding the Terri Schiavo story, and even the recent death of Pope John Paul II have all inspired me to re-evaluate my own existence. Like many others that have been through a life-threatening illness, I took this journey a few years back after my cancer diagnosis. But I must constantly check myself to make sure that I do not get lost and forget the valuable lessons that that hardship and pain taught me. The only certainty we can count on is the uncertainty of life. Twists and turns come without warning, and all that we perceive to be true can change in a fleeting instant.

I think of the tourists sitting on the beach, looking out at the vast Indian Ocean, watching their kids play in the sand. Then, in a few short, terrifying moments, all is gone. I think of the villagers, those that survived, wading through the muck searching for their lost lives. The "I should have"s or "I wish I had"s do not exist anymore. There is no time for a warm hug, a long gaze, or another "I love you." The tomorrow they had envisioned will never come. That time is gone.

I think of Terri Schiavo. I look at the picture of her before the heart attack that began her demise. How beautiful she was. Then I see the picture seen by millions around the world, the one with the blank look and open mouth. In the prime of her youth, why would she have thought to prepare a living will? She was young and vibrant with a long, healthy life ahead of her. But in a brief moment, all of that changed. Her tomorrow became encapsulated in a hospital bed with an endless stream of minutes flowing agonizingly into themselves. She is now physically gone, and we will never know how much she suffered nor what her wishes truly were. Her family is left shattered while she is now finally resting. The tomorrow they were all looking forward to dissolved the day she lost consciousness.

I think of Pope John Paul II. Having seen Parkinson's disease and life's time clock break down someone very close to me, I breathed a sigh of relief when the pope passed. He had a full life. He accomplished much. His passing is a joyous occasion. Death is inevitable, and it should be welcomed at the end of a good life. Sometimes tomorrow comes just as it should.

We have become so attached that we forget that all we love, all we have, all we aspire to be is on loan. Life and love are gifts for us to cherish and treasure, but they are gifts that can go away without warning. That is what makes love so intense. That is what makes life a miracle. The uncertainty of tomorrow is what should inspire us to appreciate the here and now.

Youth tricks us into thinking that we can prepare and plan. Fresh faces think that time is on their side and nothing will ever go wrong. Tomorrow, they think. There is always tomorrow. I don't have to think about that now. I'll tell him how I really feel about him some other day. Maybe next year I'll go get a check-up. I'll take care of that later. I'll say thanks to my mom next weekend. Tomorrow it'll be fine.

But when tomorrow came for me, I ended up sitting in front of my doctor in a peach-colored gown hearing from him that my life was no longer what I thought it would be. When tomorrow came for the families of the tsunami victims, they were searching for bodies and cleaning up the rubble that was once their homes. When tomorrow came for Terri Schiavo, she could no longer express her emotions or thoughts. When tomorrow came for Pope John Paul II, he must have felt relief to be freed from the body that had failed him.

Take a moment to think about all that you put aside until tomorrow. Call your mom or dad. Make amends with an estranged friend. Spend a long moment holding your child and memorizing every turn in his or her face. Make time to take care of yourself. Turn off the television and have a conversation with a loved one.

When you love knowing that love is a gift, when you know that your body is your temporary gift in this lifetime, when you realize that none of our material possessions matter nor remain with us when the loan is called in, that is when you are freed to truly live.

This fifth release is by far Soraya's best effort yet. If we consider that her albums all follow that traditional line of female singer/songwriter: introspective lyrics, avoid overexposure, great singles chosen. But with "El otro lado de mi" she has captured an element that kind of stepped aside after the release of "En esta noche/ On nights like this". A creative side that seemed present on her next three albums, but not with the impressiveness that it has on this cd. Ideally this new album should've been the follow up to her debut album, if we consider the potential it has. It contains by far her best lyrical work, the arrangements are risky and the content is again, following her "En esta noche" release, the best up to date.

The lead single "Llevame" has a great hook to it which commands your attention. She has revealed an edgier side: "Ser", "El otro lado de mi", and one of my favorites "La promesa", all add a stronger, more rock-driven feeling than we've experienced before. But she does not let down on her intimate side: "Un mundo sin prisa", "Un segundo lento (second chance)" and my favorite "Como seria". They all continue to show that Soraya is by far one of the best contemporary lyricist when crafting love songs. Ballads that are creatively simple, songs that leave you speechless with the content.

"El otro lado de mi" also calls for social introspective. "Alma de la calle" speaks of a real experience she had meeting a 'soul' in the streets of Colombia. While "Gotas de perdon" asks you: Where is the world leading to? What is happening around us? She calls for reflection and understanding.

Soraya don't lose the muse you've found. Let's hope this release will later on see the light as an English album. The way she has done with all her previous efforts.

I love this album. She does more rock, more upbeat tempos, in this album than most of her others. But it's a lot of fun, and the lyrics are wonderful as always. I love the first three tracks, but I really don't dislike any of them. Overall, it's just a great album.

And while you're at it, get all of her albums. Or at least also get "cuerpo y alma" and her self-titled album.

If you like female singer-songwriters as I do, even if you don't speak spanish, you won't be disappointed!

Esperaba este album con muchas ganas y aunque la diferencia siempre desconcierta al principio , este me ha encantado. Si bien no llega a ser mi CD favorito de Soraya (hasta ahora "Cuerpo y Alma" es insuperable, al menos para mi gusto), el Otro Lado de Soraya es un lado muy lindo también. Al escuchar el CD se nota claramente la influencia del productor Sebastian Krys: los sonidos y arreglos me hicieron recordar en algunos breves pasajes al album "Unwrapped" de Gloria Estefan.
En general diría que este disco se destaca mucho más por las melodías que por las letras (no son malas pero no tan bellas como en anteriores).

"Ser" es un gran canción como para iniciar el disco y marcar el rumbo y decirnos qué nos espera. La temática es muy similar a la de "El Cruce"(Torre de Marfil) y son similares también en lo agresivo de sus arreglos (me encantaron las palmas).

"Llevame" ya la hemos escuchado en la radio y me encanta el sonido de las guitarras combinado con los demás instrumentos. La versión original en inglés "Lead me" está incluso mucho mejor.

"Cómo sería" es una balada "a la antigua" por llamarla de alguna manera (no quiere decir que no me guste), lo digo por su ritmo y la forma de escribir: desgarrada, triste, como las baladistas de los 80s. Es más creo que podría funcionar como sencillo.

"Segundo lento" una de mis favoritas, una canción típica del lado de Soraya que ya conocíamos, no de este "otro lado" . Me recuerda la atmósfera de una de mis canciones favoritas de Soraya, "Dance of the Waiting"


"La Promesa" , muy ritmica, podría ser un sencillo. La percibo como la versión alegre de "Miento". Los seguidores de Sorarya espero me den la razón.

"Un mundo sin prisa" WOW, me encanta!!!!

"Alma de la Calle" y "Gotas de perdón" generalmente no me gustan las canciones con temas sociales pero estas están buenísimas. En "Alma..." podemos disfrutar limpiamente de la hermosa voz de Soraya mientras que "Gotas..." me sorprendió gratamente, diría que es mi canción favorita del disco. El arreglo de voces en los coros hace que su voz suene distinta, más distante, como si estuviera cantando desde la distancia con un poco menoso de calidez pero espectacular.

Se fue, como Rocio Durcal, sin mas adios que el de un mensaje escueto, pero emotivo. Pero este CD, no es una despedida, es una leccion de vida y de amor. Sin estridencias rockeras, con su voz suave y como al descuido, pero sin perder el sentimiento de sus melodias, Soraya Jimenez junto al talento de Sebastian Krys y de quienes le respaldaron musicalmente, hizo nacer un album emotivo e inolvidable, resaltando su homenaje a la humilde poetisa colombiana Maria Amparo Amaya, titulado "Soy Alma de la Calle" entonada con tanto amor en presencia suya, como en el estudio de grabacion, que emociona aun a quienes no nos gustan los temas sociales.

Asi recordaremos a Soraya: en accion y derrochando amor y sentimientos vivos. No ha muerto, de alguna manera, SIGUE VIVO el otro lado de su alma.

I own and enjoy all five of Soraya's Spanish language albums, but this one currently makes the top two on my favorites list.("Cuerpo y Alma" is a very close third). Though a different sound than Soraya's first CD, "En Esta Noche" (my other favorite), it shares its consistency. My favorite songs right now are: Llevame, Sin Tu Amor, Otro Lado de Mi and more. Quality songwriting from an artist who deserves more attention.

I was surprised by her new Cd. I didn't heard the Single "Llévame/Lead me" but when i did, i can't believe all that Energy and her voice with new tones. I love this unknow side of Soraya. I love "Sin Tu Amor","Un Segundo Lento","Como Sería" and my favourite "Un Mundo Sin prisa". Great Cd. a gift from this beautiful singer.God bless her and rest n peace

You can't get enough of this CD. It rocks! The tunes, lyrics and harmonies are amazing. Get the music and enjoy it.

Certainly not her best work. It is most definately Soraya-esque, but the singing doesn't have that spark as on her CD titled "Soraya". Probably would think twice before purchasing if I had known.