Senior Advisor, Office of the President. “Soraya’s book is a monumental first step in underscoring some of the barriers that prevent all underserved women from getting the care they need and opening up the dialogue for better care,” added Carter.



Soraya follows the singer-songwriter's inspiring life from her early days as a Colombian-American girl growing up in New Jersey to her worldwide fame in South America, parts of Europe and here in the U.S. At the height of her career she was traveling and performing alongside superstars like Sting, Alanis Morrisette and Natalie Merchant, when she discovered a lump in her breast. Her diagnosis of the same disease that had killed her mother, grandmother and aunt created in her a sense of urgency to smother the cultural demons that put underserved women at such high risk for early death. This became her new mission in life: to give a voice to those whose cultural practices and life circumstances prevented them from speaking about the disease and seeking early treatment.



In the year before her death, Soraya was once again back on top. She had recorded her fifth album and fans in many countries lined the streets to see her, singing her songs at the top of their lungs. Other artists often requested that she lend her songwriting talent to their CDs. One of them was Ricky Martin and overnight she helped penned one of his hits, "It's Alright."



"The unique collection of photographs, memories from friends and Soraya's own words create an intimate portrait of a very passionate woman, who, in the last few years of her life, truly became a world-class humanitarian,” said Alison Glander Provost, CEO, PowerPact and the book’s editor. “It was her dying wish ...