Colombian born singer songwriter Soraya Lamilla has died from breast cancer, aged 37. The Latin music star, whose eponymous 2003 album won a Latin Grammy, recorded five albums during the course of her ten year career. Soraya had said only this week that she felt she was beating the disease, and wrote on her website: "I have not lost this battle, because I know the fight was not in vain. Instead, it will help end a larger battle, which is early detection to prevent this terrible disease."
Diagnosed in 1991, Soraya lost both her mother and grandmother to breast cancer, and worked as a spokeswoman for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. The singer's manager, Joyce Fleming released a statement which commended her for "giving hope to women who, like herself, suffered from this illness".