Wed May 10, 7:32 PM ET

MIAMI (Reuters) - Latin Grammy winner Soraya, the Colombian-born singer and songwriter, died in a Miami-area hospital on Wednesday after a long battle with breast cancer, her manager said.
ADVERTISEMENT

Soraya, 37, had served as a spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

In a statement announcing her death, Soraya's manager, Joyce Fleming, paid tribute to her artistic ability and her advocacy in the fight against cancer.

"Her most important mission," Fleming said of Soraya, was "raising awareness about breast cancer, giving hope to women who, like herself, suffered from this illness, and collecting funds or research to help find a cure."

Like Shakira, another native of Colombia and Latin pop rival, Soraya was known only by her first name and won a Latin Grammy for her self-produced, self-titled 2003 album.


Colombian singer Soraya poses for the cameras during the production of her video, recorded in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in this August 5, 2003 file photo. Soraya died in a Miami-area hospital on May 10, 2006 after a long battle with breast cancer, her manager said. your

descansa en paz...

I seen her performed on New York Undercover before. And also I seen her performed a beautiful duet with Brian Mcknight at Alma Awards I think around '98. She had a beautiful voice. And she can played some good guitar. I am very devastated of her leaving us too soon. RIP Soraya.

Oh damn, I used to have one of her albums ('Cuerpo y Alma'). I remember reading when she first went public about her cancer and recorded an an album afterward about dealing with it. I thought she had beat it. Very sad.

Man , this makes me really really sad
Shortly ago a Dutch actress about the same age ( 38 ) , passed away too from cancer .
There has already been made so much progress for aids-patients , which can now expand their lifetime , but still no cure for cancer , despite all the tests on how many animals already ?

May she rest in peace. I saw an interview with her a couple of years ago. She was an amazing talent, but more importantly an amazing woman. May God or the higher power watch over her friends and family during this difficult time.

that is very sad. for anyone, not just a grammy winner.

no doubt, though, word will spread how she was thisclose to becoming the latin madonna, a la selena.

sallysassalot said:

She could never have been the Latin Madonna - she could actually play the guitar.

VoicesCarry said:

hey.

madonna can play a chord or two.

after 25 years + in the biz.

sallysassalot said:

I'm pretty sure this Soraya chick could also sing, but I think that may have been just a rumour

VoicesCarry said:

if madonna sits very still. very still. she can pull off a good note.

sallysassalot said:

She must be absolutely brilliant on the toilet.

VoicesCarry said:

i said "pull off a good note." i did not say a good toot!

sallysassalot said:

Well she's sitting very still and also has such intense concentration. "UGGGGGH (PLOP) DONNN'T CRY FOR ME TURDELINA>>>>>"

Hey peeps , can U do the somewhere else , in respect for Soraya and her close ones ?

.... peaceful flight Soraya

She was a great talent and it saddens me to see that the cancer came back to take her.

I was watching Univision when the news broke. What makes me sick is that she's been quite an activist and only now they're recognizing her. They gave two shits about her when she won a Latin Grammy and was performing at all these 'Race for the Cure' events....I guess that's how the game goes...

She was a beautiful spirit on Earth and she will continue to shine in eternity!

RIP

sallysassalot said:

I'd be surprised if the press builds her up that much posthumously. Sure the Grammy win was a big breakthrough, but she had a long ways to go before achieving the popularity that Selena had.

sextonseven said:

so did selena...

Soraya was a really gifted and talented artist that never gave in to the whole "crossover" thing though she did have a few songs in english here and there, she didnt conform to that. As far as her popularity, well obviously she wasnt known like Shakira but popularity is what u make it to be. In Sorayas circle and native country she is very big, and in latin market very well respected. I dont think you will see the "Selena" thing, mainly because it wasnt a murder or suicide or something like that, so dont expect to see 2pac type releases coming out 10 years from now with NEW material. Probably there will be benefits in her name organized to raise money for breast cancer, and honestly im sure thats the way she would want it too. But my memory will be seeing her perform at a Free show in NYC, doing Cuerpo Y Alma and then talking to her for a minute, getting an autograph, thinking what a "real" person, sometimes we forget that about people.
[Edited 5/13/06 11:47am]

sosgemini said:

You didn't see all the Selena t-shirts being worn in my neighborhood.

sosgemini said:

i agree. outside of the latin community, most folks had no idea who selena was it wasn't until AFTER her murder (and the pr wetdream that followed) that the mainstream of america knew who this selena woman was.

sallysassalot said:

Say what you will about her, she COULD sing, just as River Phoenix COULD act, and yes they were turned into martyrs but hey, that's how society does it, I'm afraid. Sad to lose young talent, but I can't blame them for the way their legacies are interpreted.

I always liked what Martha Plimpton had to say about River Phoenix, and it can be applied to so many of these things:

"He's already being made into a martyr. He's become a metaphor for a fallen angel, a messiah. He wasn't. He was just a boy; a very good-hearted boy who was very fucked-up and had no idea how to implement his good intentions. I don't want to be comforted by his death. I think it's right that I'm angry about it, angry at the people who helped him stay sick, and angry at River."

sallysassalot said:

It still won't be repeated with Soraya. Trust me.