S O R A Y A A Life of Music, a Legacy of Hope SORAYA Foreword by Nancy G. Brinker founder, susan g. komen for the cure(cid:2) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. S O R A Y A A Life of Music, a Legacy of Hope SORAYA Foreword by Nancy G. Brinker founder, susan g. komen for the cure(cid:2) John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 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. 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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 con- sulted regarding your specific situation. For general information about our other products and services, please contact our Customer Care Department within the United States at (800) 762-2974, outside the United States at (317) 572-3993 or fax (317) 572-4002. 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 A 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 by Nancy G. Brinker vii A Labor of Love: Publishing Soraya’s Story by Joyce Fleming xi Preface xv PART ONE THE ROOTS Chapter 1 Gifts 3 Chapter 2 The Fabric of Courage 8 Chapter 3 Riches and Rag Dolls 11 Chapter 4 A Tradition of Silence 17 Chapter 5 A Struggle to Survive, a Surplus of Love 22 Chapter 6 Mother and Daughter 33 Memories 41 PART TWO THE RISE Chapter 7 Solo Mi Dios 59 Chapter 8 Music Lessons 67 Chapter 9 Heights and Depths 75 v Chapter 10 How Do I? 83 Chapter 11 An Army for Change 91 Chapter 12 Reborn 99 Memories 109 PART THREE THE RACE Chapter 13 Miracles, Large and Small 161 Chapter 14 Signs of Life 169 Chapter 15 Singing to the Angels 179 Memories 187 Epilogue by Itzel Diaz 219 Inspirations:Eleven Helpful Themes interpreted and compiled by Joyce Fleming and Alison Provost 225 A Medical Note by Joyce O’Shaughnessy, M.D. 238 Photo Credits 240 vi FOREWORD BY NANCY G. BRINKER 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 mis- sion of her life and music. “Let me help you educate Hispanic women,” she said, speaking of breast cancer, the disease that had taken her grand- mother, her mother, and soon, her aunt—her angelitos, as she called them. Soraya wasn’t a performer looking for attention. She was a daugh- ter, 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 mammo- grams. 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. vii 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 can- cer, 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 pre- vents 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, hon- esty, 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 viii 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 cap- ture 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. ix