Soraya Arnelas Rubiales (; born 13 September 1982), better known by her stage name Soraya, is a Spanish singer. Soraya represented

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

at the

Eurovision Song Contest 2009 The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Moscow, Russia, following the country's victory at the with the song "Believe (Dima Bilan song), Believe" by Dima Bilan. Organised by the Euro ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

with the song "

La noche es para mí "La noche es para mí" (; "The Night is for Me") is a song by Spanish singer Soraya, which was the entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, held in Moscow, Russia. It was released on 12 January 2009 in Spain as the second single from Soraya's f ...

" finishing 23rd with 23 points.

Biography

Early life

Arnelas was born in

Valencia de Alcántara Valencia de Alcántara (Population: 6178) is a municipality located in the province of Cáceres, in the autonomous community of Extremadura, Spain. It is near the Portuguese border (District of Portalegre), separated from it by the Sever. Histor ...

, Cáceres,

on 13 September 1982. At the age of 11, she left for

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

. She wanted to study drama but soon started working as a flight attendant for

Iberworld Orbest Orizonia Airlines, S.A., formerly ''Iberworld Airlines, S.A.'', was an airline with its head office in the ''Edificio Orizionia Corporación'' in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. It operated regular and charter flights to destinations in Europ ...

, where she travelled around the world. Apart from her native Spanish, she is also fluent in English and Portuguese.

2005: ''Operación Triunfo'' and ''Corazón De Fuego''

Soraya participated in the fourth series of the Spanish television series ''

Operación Triunfo ''Star Academy'', called ''Operación Triunfo'' ("Operation Triumph") in Spanish-speaking countries, is a highly successful television pop music talent contest with viewer voting and reality show elements. Format There are many versions of t ...

'' in 2005 where she came second overall. Her début album ''Corazón De Fuego'' was released on 5 December 2005 produced by Kike Santander. The album got Platinum status.

2006: ''Ochenta's''

On 21 November 2006, Soraya released her second album, ''Ochenta's''. It was her first English language album. The first single was a cover of the Italian singer

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

's song "

Self Control Self-control, an aspect of inhibitory control, is the ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behavior in the face of temptations and impulses. As an executive function, it is a cognitive process that is necessary for regulating one's b ...

". The remainder of the album was a mixture of 1980s cover versions and new songs. The song reached Gold Status in the ''Promusicae Digital Songs'' charts and peaked at number 1 on the Spanish ''Cadena 100''. The second single from ''Ochenta's'' was a cover of

Spagna Ivana Spagna (born 16 December 1954), also known simply as Spagna (), is an Italian singer and songwriter. She is best known for her worldwide hit song " Call Me" released in 1987. Career Spagna started her career singing in English and in the ...

's " Call Me". '' Ochenta's'' was one of the most successful albums of 2007 in Spain and achieved platinum after many weeks charting in the top ten albums chart.

2007: ''Dolce Vita''

Soraya released another album with more covers of 1980s hits titled ''Dolce Vita''. The lead single was "La Dolce Vita". The album includes covers of 1980s hits, including

Kylie Minogue Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...

's "

I Should Be So Lucky "I Should Be So Lucky" is a 1987 song performed by Australian recording artist and songwriter Kylie Minogue from her debut studio album '' Kylie'' (1988). Released on 29 December 1987 by Mushroom Records and PWL Records, the song became a worldw ...

Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...

's "

Girls Just Want to Have Fun "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" is a song written, recorded and performed by American musician Robert Hazard, who released it as a single in 1979. It is best known for the version of American singer Cyndi Lauper, who covered the song in 1983. I ...

Eurythmics Eurythmics were a British pop duo consisting of Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. They were both previously in The Tourists, a band which broke up in 1980. The duo released their first studio album, '' In the Garden'', in 1981 to little succ ...

's "

Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" is a song by British new wave music duo Eurythmics. It is the title track of their album of the same name (1983) and was released as the fourth and final single from the album in early 1983. The song became t ...

Modern Talking Modern Talking was a German pop music duo consisting of arranger, songwriter and producer Dieter Bohlen and singer Thomas Anders. They have been referred to as Germany's most successful pop duo, and have had a number of hit singles, reaching th ...

's "

You're My Heart, You're My Soul "You're My Heart, You're My Soul" is the first single by German duo Modern Talking released off their debut album '' The 1st Album''. The single was released on 29 October 1984 but entered the top 40 in Germany on 21 January and entered the top 1 ...

" and the lead single, "

Dolce Vita Dolce vita or la dolce vita is Italian for "the sweet life." It may refer to: Books *"The experience of this sweet life" from Dante Alighieri's ''Divine Comedy'', Canto XX, lines 47–48 *''The First Intimate Contact'' (1998), also known as ''Dol ...

", a cover from the Italian singer

Ryan Paris Fabio Roscioli (born 12 March 1953), known by his stage name Ryan Paris, is an Italian singer, songwriter, musician and actor who gained international popularity in 1983 for the worldwide hit single "Dolce Vita", written and produced by Pierluigi ...

. The album shot straight inside the Spanish Top 5 Albums Chart, peaking at No.5, and getting Gold certification in the following weeks. The album was released in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

via iTunes UK and

7digital 7digital Group Plc is a British publicly listed company that offers access to music, tracking and reporting for clients. London-based, 7digital provides end-to-end music services for the fitness, social media, DSPs, and gaming industries with b ...

2008: ''Sin Miedo''

''Sin Miedo'' was Soraya's fourth released album. Leaving the 1980s covers behind, this album contains 12 original tracks; nine in Spanish and three in English. The album was produced by International DJ

DJ Sammy Samuel Bouriah (born 19 October 1969), better known by his stage name DJ Sammy, is a Spanish DJ and record producer. He has released five albums and has had five top-10 hits, including a cover of Bryan Adams' "Heaven", which reached number one ...

and includes a duo with

Kate Ryan Kate Ryan (born Katrien Verbeeck, 22 July 1980) is a Belgian singer and songwriter, and the winner of a World Music Award. She began her singing career in 2001 and later found fame with a string of dance hits. These included covers, mostly of M ...

(the song ''Caminaré''). The first single of the album was ''Sin miedo'' (Without fear). The album debuted on the Spanish Albums Chart at a low #21, becoming her worst position for a studio album. The album has spent 22 weeks on chart so far. However, the album saw a Top 40 reentry at #32 thanks to a brand new edition of ''Sin Miedo''.

2009: Eurovision and other television projects

By the end of 2008, she submitted one of the songs from her latest album, ''Sin Miedo'', "

" to the Spanish preselection for the

, being considered the early favourite to represent the country. She was finally chosen to represent Spain on 28 February 2009. Soraya's Eurovision team consisted of a Swedish songwriting team. She heavily promoted in Sweden in the months leading up to the contest. Being an automatic finalist representing Spain, she performed in the 25th position on Final night, finishing second to last. However, juries and televoters did not vote for the song, and it finished in the twenty fourth place. Arnelas referred to the score as a punishment from Europe, for Radio Television Española's late airing of the second semi-final where Spanish televoters and jury members were to vote. Previously to her Eurovision experience, she participated in the reality talent contest ''La Batalla de los Coros'', the Spanish version of

Clash of the Choirs ''Clash of the Choirs'' is a reality talent contest miniseries that debuted on NBC in the United States on December 17, 2007. There were four episodes scheduled in the “quick competition”. Maria Menounos is the host of the program, which was ...

. After visiting more than 20 cities, Soraya ended her ''Sin Miedo Spanish Tour 2009'' on 13 September 2009.

2010: ''Dreamer''

After leaving her label Vale Music /

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

in late 2010, Soraya signed a record deal with

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), also known as simply Sony Music, is an American multinational music company. Being owned by the parent conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, it is part of the Sony Music Group, which is owned by Sony Entertainment ...

to record her fifth studio album ''Dreamer''. The first single to be released from this album was "Live Your Dreams", an

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...

song, produced by French DJ

Antoine Clamaran Antoine Clamaran-Danzelle (; born 8 November 1964) is a French house music producer, DJ and remixer. Clamaran was born in Neuilly-sur-Seine. In the early 1990s, his local fame interested Maximum FM, the leading parisian dance radio station at that ...

. The video for the song was filmed in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

on March and was released in June 2010. The single peaked at #8 on the French Club Chart, while it peaked at #13 on the airplay chart and #47 in the download chart. The CD-Single debuted and peaked at #11 in the French Singles Chart, staying a total of 7 weeks into the Top15. It also reached #20 at the Russian Airplay Chart. This was Soraya's first entry in both France and Russian charts. In Belgium it peaked at #51. While in Poland the song reached #16 in the airplay chart. In Spain, the song was #18 in the airplay chart. The album was released on September 28, 2010, in Spain, reaching number 1 on iTunes the same day it was released. The album peaked at #8 on the Spanish Albums Chart. ''Dreamer'' supposed the return of Soraya to the Top10, achieving more success than its predecessor so far. The promotion of the album was supported by a tour through some European countries.

2013: ''Con Fuego'' & ''Universe In Me''

On 19 February Soraya released an electronic/dance track in co-operation with Aqeel. This was the first song she released along with her own company label, Valentia Records. The song topped the iTunes Spanish Chart, it also made a top thirty (#29) official debut in PROMUSICAE only with downloads but a top ten (#7) in the physical singles chart due to the CD Single release.

Personal life

Since 2012, Soraya is in a relationship with male model Miguel Ángel Herrera. Soraya gave birth to the couple's first child, Manuela Grace, on 24 February 2017.

Discography

Studio albums

Live albums

Singles

As lead artist

As featured artist

Filmography

Television

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arnelas, Soraya 1982 births Living people People from the Province of Cáceres Eurovision Song Contest entrants of 2009 Singers from Extremadura Eurovision Song Contest entrants for Spain Star Academy participants Spanish people of Portuguese descent Arnelas, Soraya English-language singers from Spain Flight attendants Operación Triunfo contestants 21st-century Spanish singers 21st-century Spanish women singers