Soraya was a songwriter, a singer, a producer, an arranger, a violinist, a guitarist, and a performer.
She plied her craft with a gentle hand, capturing notes that she said swirled in her head, poured out of her hands and from her lungs. She worked on each song until it became a piece of art that pleased her own senses. Her crisp writing elevated her deeply personal lyrics to a place where her songs could belong to everyone. Soraya had an impressive command of both English and Spanish, and she artfully wrote each song for each language uniquely. As a result, Soraya was the first artist to release dual albums in both languages. In all of her music, you can feel the joy Soraya had for life and the deep happiness that songwriting brought to her life.

“Soraya’s music is infinitely intimate and precious, crafted and executed with the love and care of an artisan who works on her own product. However, it also has the rare capacity of touching the feelings of the masses.

Soraya’s importance at an international scale can be measured by her control on world stages and by her constant presence in radio and sales lists in the United States and the world. 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

“As the first song started, I couldn’t help but focus on Soraya’s guitar playing—she was amazing! …I had been surrounded by musicians all of my life but I had never met one who had such style, such technique… Then she started singing... As soon as she opened her mouth it was so clear: she was the real thing” -Olgui Chirino Soraya’s long-time back-up vocalist, keyboard player and musical director

“She said she was going to teach us all to dance. This was before we knew she sang like an angel. This was before we knew that she wrote some of the most beautiful songs any of us have ever heard. This was before we knew that she could make us laugh so hard we’d beg her to be kind. If it all had stopped at teaching us to dance in the firelight, that would have been enough.” -Gary Burr Legendary Nashville songwriter, former lead singer of Pure Prairie League