Soraya

Soraya

Description

"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
Foreword (Nancy G. Brinker)

A Labor of Love: Publishing Soraya's Story (Joyce Fleming)

Preface.

Part One: The Roots.

Chapter 1. Gifts.

Chapter 2. The Fabric of Courage.

Chapter 3. Riches and Rag Dolls.

Chapter 4. A Tradition of Silence.

Chapter 5. A Struggle to Survive, a Surplus of Love.

Chapter 6. Mother and Daughter.

Memories.

Part Two: The Rise.

Chapter 7. Solo Mi Dios.

Chapter 8. Music Lessons.

Chapter 9. Heights and Depths.

Chapter 10. How Do I?

Chapter 11. An Army for Change.

Chapter 12. Reborn.

Memories.

Part Three: The Race.

Chapter 13. Miracles, Large and Small.

Chapter 14. Signs of  Life.

Chapter 15. Singing to the Angels.

Memories.

Epilogue (Itzel Diaz)

Inspirations: Eleven Helpful Themes (Joyce O'Shaughnessy, M.D.)

Photo Credits.

Sujets

• Santé et bien-être
• Santé du quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Santé au quotidien
• Fitness
• Health
• Soraya

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 12 septembre 2007
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781118444962
• Langue: English

Extrait

SORAYA
A Life of Music, a Legacy of Hope
SORAYA
F OREWORD BY N ANCY G. B RINKER FOUNDER, SUSAN G. KOMEN FOR THE CURE
This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright 2007 by Soraya, Inc.
All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
Photo credits appear on page 240, which constitutes an extension of this copyright page.
Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico
Flower graphic iStockphoto.com/Roman Dekan
Design and composition by Navta Associates, Inc.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, [phone], fax [phone], or on the web at www.copyright.com . Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, [phone], fax [phone], or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions .
The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the reader s discretion. The author and the publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation.
For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at [phone], outside the United States at [phone]
or fax [phone].
Wiley also publishes its books in a variety of electronic formats. Some content that appears in print may not be available in electronic books. For more information about Wiley products, visit our web site at www.wiley.com .
ISBN 978-0-470-17127-1
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A hero does not have to win .
A hero does not have to be larger than life .
A hero can be an ordinary person who overcomes
Extraordinary events with dignity and grace .
-Soraya


It was Soraya s wish that her proceeds from this book go to breast cancer awareness and education programs.
For more information about Soraya and her mission, and to find out other ways you can help, visit www.Soraya.com .
CONTENTS
Foreword
A Labor of Love
Preface
PART ONE THE ROOTS
Chapter 1 Gifts
Chapter 2 The Fabric of Courage
Chapter 3 Riches and Rag Dolls
Chapter 4 A Tradition of Silence
Chapter 5 A Struggle to Survive, a Surplus of Love
Chapter 6 Mother and Daughter
Memories
PART TWO THE RISE
Chapter 7 Solo Mi Dios
Chapter 8 Music Lessons
Chapter 9 Heights and Depths
Chapter 10 How Do I?
Chapter 11 An Army for Change
Chapter 12 Reborn
Memories
PART THREE THE RACE
Chapter 13 Miracles, Large and Small
Chapter 14 Signs of Life
Chapter 15 Singing to the Angels
Memories

Epilogue
Inspirations
A Medical Note
Photo Credits
FOREWORD
BY N ANCY G. B RINKER founder, Susan G. Komen for the Cure
I ll never forget the first time I met her. Soraya was performing at a fund-raiser for a Spanish television network in her beloved Miami. As it did everywhere, her spirit filled the room. True to her name, she was a shining star, stunning in her beauty and inspiring in her sincerity.
But it was what she said to me offstage that revealed the larger mission of her life and music. Let me help you educate Hispanic women, she said, speaking of breast cancer, the disease that had taken her grandmother, her mother, and soon, her aunt-her angelitos , as she called them.
Soraya wasn t a performer looking for attention. She was a daughter, a niece, and a granddaughter looking to make a difference. She knew that Latinas are less likely than other women to perform breast self-exams and to have regular clinical checkups and yearly mammograms. As a result, Latinas tend to be diagnosed at a later, more advanced stage, making them more likely to die from breast cancer.
But Soraya also knew that when breast cancer is caught early, before it spreads beyond the breast, the five-year survival rate is greater than 95 percent. Everyone deserves a fighting chance to survive this terrible disease, she often said.
To help give Latinas that chance, those of us at the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation (now the Susan G. Komen for the Cure) worked with Soraya to include information about breast health and the importance of early detection in her next album, Cuerpo y Alma / I m Yours .
A few months later, the phone rang. It was Soraya. She was in Colombia caring for her aunt. Nancy, I found a lump, she said. Within days, her doctors had confirmed the worst-Stage 3 breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease.
It was all too familiar, like the unforgettable phone call I received nearly thirty years ago from my sister, Susan G. Komen. Like Susan, Soraya was diagnosed young-Susan at thirty-three, Soraya at thirty-one. Both had their whole lives ahead of them. And both made a promise-a solemn vow to end this disease and to spare other women the pain and loss they had endured.
In the few years that followed, Soraya s life, like her lyrics, became an inspiration. As she wrote so poignantly in No One Else / Por Ser Quien Soy :
With an army in my soul, soldiers of love, warriors of faith
Fighting a battle against the enemy with no face
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
In my darkest hour, when I could barely see
I found the essence of a woman I never dreamed I could be
Some suggested that she not discuss her disease in public, that doing so would undermine her image. But with compassion, love, and courage, Soraya went public. And after it seemed she had beaten the cancer, she shared the darkest hours of her fight, empowering women, especially Latinas, to overcome the silence and shame that so often prevents women from seeking the early treatment that saves lives.
As a singer-songwriter, she blended the traditions and influences of many Latin cultures. As Komen s Latin Ambassador, her love, honesty, and humility (appearing often without her hair) transcended countries, cultures, and language and touched the hearts of millions.
At Komen, we will remain forever grateful to Soraya. She was not only an eloquent spokeswoman whose words and wisdom moved audiences to tears and to action. She was a beloved friend who made us better, helping us clarify and carry our message of hope to a new generation of Spanish-speaking women. Those women now look to her with the same love and awe that Soraya felt for her own mother when she sang, I think of how strong you were and it helps me to get by.
Soraya never stopped teaching us, not even in the darkest hours when her cancer returned. As she neared the end of her journey, Soraya, as always, reached into her soul and found just the right words to capture her spirit: I know there are many questions without answers, and that hope doesn t leave with me. . . . My mission does not end with my physical story.
And that, I believe, will be the greatest legacy of her life-the hope she gave, the hearts she touched, and the lives she saved. Soraya left us far, far too early. But like her angelic voice that moved us all, her music and her mission live on.
A LABOR OF LOVE PUBLISHING SORAYA S STORY
BY J OYCE F LEMING Soraya s manager
Soraya was always a writer. The world knew her as an award-winning songwriter , but she always wrote. She almost always had a pencil or pen in her hand. She wrote on napkins and on the covers of the current book she was reading; she wrote poetry, essays, articles. She was always inspirational and motivational, but careful never to impose her ideas. Until, that is, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
So it wasn t out of character that in 2001, during her breast cancer treatments, Soraya began to write a book. Her intention at that time was to share the story of strength and courage of the women in her family who had endured so much. Shortly after preparing an outline and signing with a literary agent, she put the writing down. She said, Who am I to write a book? I am a songwriter, and I will keep to what I do best. Besides, who would be interested in my story anyway?
In 2003, she recorded and produced her fourth record, Soraya , her after-cancer comeback album. Her message was loud and clear: Fight for your life, you deserve it. The years to follow were filled with incredible moments of revelation and joy. Soraya was back on top and immensely enjoying her new life.
In 2005, she began promoting her fifth album. But unfortunately, the cancer had returned with a vengeance. Even though she considered it to be in a state of controlled remission, her life was changed. The concept of time was suddenly very present, and we carefully planned her schedule to allow her the best quality of life. This time, she kept her illness very quiet because, as she says in this memoir, she had something to prove. She needed to prove that with today s medicine and with a controlled, focused mind one can live with cancer. So she performed as before in front of thousands, traveled, visited radio stations, went on TV, met with medical professionals, attended fundraising events, and lent her voice to many great people who are doing great things to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease.
Still, unbeknownst to almost everyone, she was very, very sick. And yet, always smiling.
In late November 2005 she decided it was time to go home, enjoy her family and dear friends, and pur