Soraya: A Life of Music, A Legacy of Hope [Hardcover]

Soraya (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 2007

"From the moment I met Soraya I knew she was a winner, an amazingly talented and beautiful woman with something very spe-cial. Her total dedication in everything she did and her selfless efforts to help others were and still are an inspiration not only to those of us who have had the privilege to be around her, but also to the thousands of people who still maintain her name and mission. Soraya's courage to face every challenge is something that I will never forget . . . her words of hope and her music will live on in our souls."

--Ricky Martin

"Sometimes in life you meet someone special, and you know in that moment that they have a greater view on life . . . Soraya was one of those people. She remains a strong and positive memory for me."

--Bob Waldron, President, Yoplait USA

"Soraya's music is infinitely intimate and precious, crafted and executed with the love and care of an artisan. There are few complete artists, but Soraya is one of them-- a composer, guitarist, producer, arranger, and singer with a particularly emotive voice. The measure of her worth in the eyes of the music industry was obvious during the 2004 Latin Grammys, when she won the Grammy for the newly created Best Singer-Songwriter category, besting icons like Juan Gabriel, Serrat, and Leon Gieco. Many will remember Soraya as a spokesperson, an educator, and a source of inspiration for so many people who battle cancer. Yet her most lasting legacy is the one she continues to transmit through her songs, her music, and her guitar."

--Leila Cobo, Billboard?magazine

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Soraya, a Grammy®-winning singer- songwriter and captivating performer, opened concerts for Sting and Natalie Merchant and went on to become one of the most acclaimed voices in Latin pop and rock. Among her numerous hits, she had two number-one songs on Billboard's Latin Pop Airplay charts, and she recorded five albums during her career.

Her story is a journey of courage, optimism, and compassion. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, the gifted singer-songwriter and rising star could have withdrawn from the world. Instead, she threw her heart, her time, and her talent into a passionate effort to raise breast cancer awareness among Latina women, who are more likely to die from the disease than are other women.

What moved Soraya to dedicate so much of her energy to others during her time of greatest personal need? In Soraya: A Life of Music, a Legacy of Hope, Soraya reveals in her own words how the values and beliefs she learned from her family helped her find success in her music career. She shows how these same values—to treat others as you want to be treated; help the poor, even when you are poor yourself; and live your life with all the strength you have—gave her the inner fortitude and drive to fight her cancer and to reach out to others at the same time. She also discusses the tragic family history that made her message so poignant: her mother, her grandmother, and her aunt were all taken by the disease.

The tragedy of Soraya's story is outweighed by the joy and energy with which she lived her life, both before and during her illness. Her writing communicates a remarkable ability to treasure her past and savor the present while always looking and working toward the future. Through her celebration of life, she offers us a legacy of hope to help sustain the spirit through whatever difficulties life may bring.

Among Soraya's talents was a gift for forming deep and long-lasting friendships. Along with many photos of her taken with family, friends, and fellow performers, this book includes memories from teachers, schoolmates, coworkers, and relatives who offer their own insights into Soraya's life. This unique collection of photographs and memories, the first time in print, creates an intimate portrait of a very public woman. Complete with song lyrics and poems, Soraya is both a loving tribute to a life well lived and a powerful inspiration for anyone coping with illness or personal tragedy.

From the Back Cover

"From the moment I met Soraya I knew she was a winner, an amazingly talented and beautiful woman with something very spe-cial. Her total dedication in everything she did and her selfless efforts to help others were and still are an inspiration not only to those of us who have had the privilege to be around her, but also to the thousands of people who still maintain her name and mission. Soraya's courage to face every challenge is something that I will never forget . . . her words of hope and her music will live on in our souls."

—Ricky Martin

"Sometimes in life you meet someone special, and you know in that moment that they have a greater view on life . . . Soraya was one of those people. She remains a strong and positive memory for me."

—Bob Waldron, President, Yoplait USA

"Soraya's music is infinitely intimate and precious, crafted and executed with the love and care of an artisan. There are few complete artists, but Soraya is one of them— a composer, guitarist, producer, arranger, and singer with a particularly emotive voice. The measure of her worth in the eyes of the music industry was obvious during the 2004 Latin Grammys, when she won the Grammy for the newly created Best Singer-Songwriter category, besting icons like Juan Gabriel, Serrat, and Leon Gieco. Many will remember Soraya as a spokesperson, an educator, and a source of inspiration for so many people who battle cancer. Yet her most lasting legacy is the one she continues to transmit through her songs, her music, and her guitar."

—Leila Cobo, Billboard?magazine

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (September 28, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470171278
• ISBN-13: 978-0470171271
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.9 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,280,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartbreaking and Inspiring, March 17, 2009

By 

Peter W. Robinson "Serenity for Car Buyers" (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Soraya: A Life of Music, A Legacy of Hope (Hardcover)

I was a fan of Soraya before I knew anything about her history with Breast Cancer. As someone attempting to learn to speak Spanish, her clear, calm, but powerful voice made it easy to discern her words and her sincerity made me want to learn their meanings.

As a lifelong musician and songwriter, her music was (and is) a revelation, with gorgeous, soaring melodies and wonderful musicianship throughout.

This book focuses on the truly heroic part of her life, from her diagnosis to her relentless work to bring education about this terrible disease to those who had never heard it.

She worked almost to the day she died toward this end, and this book is her legacy and her final gift to us.

You will be inspired by her incredible strength and spirit as you mourn her tragic passing.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing memoir!, May 25, 2009

By 

LEE (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Soraya: A Life of Music, A Legacy of Hope (Hardcover)

Although I'm a fan of Soraya's music, I never followed the tabloids so I never knew about her breast cancer. Her death on May 10, 2006 surprised and stunned me. When her memoir was published, I bought the book; but it sat on my shelf unread. After nearly three years, I began reading it. I had very much admired Soraya as a singer and songwriter. After reading her memoir, I admire her even more as a person who was a caring daughter, a doting aunt, a loyal friend, a champion for breast cancer awareness, and as a cancer fighter.

After a famous person dies, it usually others who write about them. With this book, it's Soraya telling you about herself. It's like having a private conversation with her in which she reveals intimate details about her life, her dreams, her goals, her family, etc. She writes about the meaning and inspiration for some of her songs. Knowing the songs' background gave them entirely new meanings to me and I now better appreciate them.

While reading Soraya's memoir, I used post-it notes to mark interesting information and passages. There are post-it notes on nearly every other page. Here are a few interesting tidbits of facts about Soraya that I didn't know:

She was a classically trained violinist.

At 12 yrs old, she was a violinist for the New York City Youth Symphony Orchestra.

High school valedictorian

High school council President

High school field hockey team Captain

She was lefty but willed herself to learn to play a right-handed guitar because her parents couldn't afford to buy her another guitar.

Attended Douglass College at Rutgers on a full academic scholarship.

Named woman of the year at Rutgers.

Worked as a flight attendant for United Airlines.

"En Esta Noche" and "On Nights Like This" are about the night her mother died.

"Avalancha" was inspired by Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" when Soraya's world was falling down around her.

She was her nephew's YMCA soccer team coach while batting breast cancer.

Soraya wrote songs for Ricky Martin, Ha-Ash, and others.

What I didn't know and admired about Soraya could go on and on. What really surprised me was her determination to still write songs and perform while battling breast cancer to nearly the end of her life. I kept saying to myself "WOW!"

In our lifetime, we will know a friend or family member who will battle a terminal illness. We ourselves might find ourselves facing a terminal illness. After reading Soraya's memoir, I can now better understand those who face such illness and if I should have to face the same fate, I hope I show the same courage as Soraya.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real life HERO., January 20, 2008

By 

Pollen Generation - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Soraya: A Life of Music, A Legacy of Hope (Hardcover)

"A hero doesnot have to win. A hero doesnot have to be larger than life. A hero can be an ordinary person who overcomes extraordinary events with dignity and grace".-Soraya. This is the introduction Soraya offers to her book. This is a book worth reading by everybody as it offers much needed advice from how to enjoy life to how to prepare for our own mortality. After Soraya's passing to breast cancer complications I have become proactive in breast cancer prevention and awareness. I hope others can recieve inspiration by reading this book.