Kamaliya Zahoor ( uk, Камалія Захур, russian: Камалия Захур; born Nataliya Shmarenkova on 18 May 1977), known professionally as simply Kamaliya, is a Ukrainian singer, actress, television personality, model and former
Mrs. World beauty pageant titleholder.
She has become widely known in the United Kingdom through her participation in the British reality television programme ''
Meet the Russians
''Meet the Russians'' is a 2013 British reality show produced by Fox about wealthy Russians and Russian speakers who live in London, England. It premiered on 25 September 2013. It was directed by Emma Walsh. According to ''The New York Times
...
''.
Early years
Kamaliya (real name Natalya Shmarenkova; russian: Наталья Шмаренкова) was born in 1977 in
Zabaikallye,
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
When she turned three, her military father was deployed to
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
, where she danced and sang in the children's ensemble called "Kolokol'chik" (the Jingle).
When her family later moved to
Lviv
Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in western Ukraine, and the seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is one of the main cultural centres of Ukraine ...
, she took classes in violin and opera, and while in school, she took part in as many concerts and shows as possible. Her efforts were noticed and she received an invitation to sing with the
Ukrainian folk music
Ukrainian folk music includes a number of varieties of traditional, folkloric, folk-inspired popular music, and folk-inspired European classical music traditions.
In the 20th century numerous ethnographic and folkloric musical ensembles were e ...
group "Halytska Perlyna" (Halych Perl).
Career
In 1993, Kamaliya became the laureate of the
Chervona Ruta (Red Rue) Festival in Ukraine and then won the TV-Chance-Stars contest in
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 ...
. In 1997, she graduated from the
University of Culture
The National University of Arts and Culture, Yangon ( my, အမျိုးသားယဉ်ကျေးမှုနှင့် အနုပညာတက္ကသိုလ် (ရန်ကုန်) ) is a public university, located in Yangon, M ...
with a degree in Variety Art and Mass Shows Direction.
At this time, she recorded her first video clip "Techno style".
During 1999 and 2000, Kamaliya wrote more than 50 songs, and worked on her album "It is Love". In 2000, her song "Love You" won the first prize as the National Hit Parade's "Song of the Year". In 2001, she created the show-center "Kamaliya", which not only promoted her, but also organized gala concerts and shows and programs with participation Ukrainian, Russian and foreign stars.
In 2004, the President of Ukraine awarded Kamaliya with the title
Honored Artist of Ukraine
Merited (Performing) Artist of Ukraine (also translated as Honored (Performing) Artist of Ukraine, uk, Заслужений артист України) is a state honorary title of decoration awarded by the Ukrainian SSR and later Ukraine for o ...
for her outstanding achievements in developing Ukrainian culture.
Kamaliya performed at the YUNA Music Awards 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 in Ukraine, including a duet with Germany's
Thomas Anders
Bernd Weidung (born 1 March 1963), known by his stage name Thomas Anders, is a German singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the pop duo Modern Talking.
Starting his singing career while still in schoo ...
of "No Ordinary Love".
She was a headliner at the "Mr. Gay World 2012" pageant in Johannesburg, South Africa. Kamaliya performed at Ahoy, Rotterdam at Symphony 31 "DJ meets Orchestra" on 14 & 16 March 2015. Kamaliya is a regular performer at the Gay Prides in Germany, UK, Ireland & the Netherlands.
Beauty contests
In 2003, she became "Miss South Ukraine" and "Miss Open – Odessa".
Mrs. World 2008
On 30 June 2008, Kamaliya won the
Mrs. World pageant.
The event took place in
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
, Russia.
In 2009, she was in Vietnam to pass her tiara on to the 2009 Mrs. World, Russian Victoria Radochinskaya.
Music
![Kamaliya's Show](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Kamaliya%27s_Show.jpg)
In December 2011, Kamaliya released her debut UK single "Crazy in My Heart". The track was mixed by the UK dance duo
Digital Dog
Digital Dog are an English remix/production duo consisting of Steve Cornish and Nick Mace. The duo also produce under the aliases Jack Rokka and Elek-Tro Junkies.
Digital Dog's 2007 collaboration with Betty Boo, "Take Off", topped the UK Indie ...
.
Kamaliya's second UK single "Rising UP" was released on 26 February 2012. The single featured mixes by UK dance ensemble Cahill and US production wizards Soulseekerz. The video for this single was shot in
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
by
Paul Boyd, in a luxury villa used in
CSI Miami
''CSI: Miami'' (''Crime Scene Investigation: Miami'') is an American police procedural drama television series that ran from September 23, 2002 until April 8, 2012 on CBS. Featuring David Caruso as Lieutenant Horatio Caine, Emily Procter as Dete ...
.
Recent notable performances include as a support act to the
STEPS reunion tour across the UK. Kamaliya performed as a supporting act to
STEPS on all tour dates except two (when she was in South Africa to headline
Mr. Gay World
Mr Gay World is a registered and trademarked annual international competition for gay men.
The reigning Mr Gay World is José López Duvont from Puerto Rico. López is the first Latino winner, and the first winner from the Americas.
Beginnings ...
). These appearances coincided with the launch of her 3rd single "Arrhythmia" – an Ibiza-inspired dance anthem.
Kamaliya also released her debut UK album "Kamaliya" onto digital websites and for free with OK! Magazine on 7 August 2012.
In 2013, Kamaliya released her new album, "ClubOpera", which was written and produced for her by
Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen
Jörn-Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (born 10 March 1960) is a German keyboard player, producer and composer. He was the keyboardist of the band Nena and co-wrote their world famous hit "99 Luftballons" as well as another great hit entitled "Irgendwie, ...
and
DSign Music
Dsign Music is a songwriting and production team. Dsign Music was founded in 2005 by Robin Jenssen, Anne Judith Stokke Wik, Nermin Harambašić and Ronny Vidar Svendsen in Trondheim, Norway. Since the start they have scored more than 60 Billboard ...
. Prior to its release, she released 4 singles out of this album. Those were "Butterflies" (2012), "I'm Alive" (2013), "Love Me Like" (2013), "Never Wanna Hurt You (Bad Love, Baby)" (2013).
In 2015, she recorded a single with José Carreras for his concert in the German city of Braunschweig. She continued her cooperation with Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen, and in March 2016 she released her first single "Timeless" from her next album with the same title "Timeless". The song was No.1 for 8 weeks in the Austrian & Dutch charts, and in the Top 15 in German and Swiss charts.
In January 2017, her collaboration with Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen culminated in "Aphrodite", which reached the second position in German and Spanish official charts, Austrian and Turkish iTunes charts.
In February 2017, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Sananda Maitreya's (formerly known as Terence Trent D'Arby) hit "Sign Your Name", she presented her version of the song at YUNA Music Awards. Produced by the English producer Stuart Epps the single became a huge hit in Italy.
In July 2017, the album "Timeless" was released. Besides "Timeless" & "Aphrodite", "Make Me Feel" & "On My List" did very well in European charts. "Make Me Feel" was No.1 in Ireland.
When the album "ClubOpera" was out in 2013 the song "Who's Gonna Love You Tonight" was not released as a single but it was so catchy that fans all over the world wanted it to be a single. In October 2017, with a slight change in the music, it was released.
In 2018, there appeared a Ukrainian version of the song "Timeless" – "Рiки Кохання".
In 2018, Kamaliya released another Ukrainian song – "Самба Тропикана".
In 2018, Kamaliya got a golden disc status in Austria for singles "I'm alive" and "Timeless".
In 2018, Kamaliya performed in Kyiv with Spanish opera star Montserrat Caballe.
In 2019, Kamaliya released another Ukrainian song – "Вiльна".
In July 2019, Kamaliya is planning to release her Spanish inspired Ukrainian duet with hot Latinos Duo #RicoMacho "Наше лiто".
Film and television
In 2009, Kamaliya filmed a
television pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
"Coffee with Kamaliya" where she interviewed celebrities.
Kamaliya's first film role was in the comedy film "Muzh Moey Vdovy" (russian: Муж моей вдовы, "My Widow's Husband").
The movie had its theatrical release on 1 April 2010, in Ukraine and Russia.
She also appeared in the 2013 American action film "
Officer Down" as Katya. She also played a lead role in sci-fi movie called "Mantera".
In 2012, she filmed scenes for a role in the American film "What About Love", starring
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress. Known for primarily playing femme fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the recipient of various ...
and
Andy Garcia
Andy may refer to:
People
* Andy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
* Horace Andy (born 1951), Jamaican roots reggae songwriter and singer born Horace Hinds
* Katja Andy (1907–2013), German-American pianist and pi ...
; as of September 2021 the film has not been released.
Kamaliya also featured in many TV series and movies: "Fathers and sons (И отцы, и дети)"; "Russian 8-episode serial"; "Bagarne effect (Эффект Багарне)"; "Russian 8-episode serial"; and "Million Up to the sky (Миллион до неба)"; "Russian TV movie".
She also featured in the reality shows: "Riches cry too (Богатые тоже плачут)" (Ukrainian TV), "
Meet the Russians
''Meet the Russians'' is a 2013 British reality show produced by Fox about wealthy Russians and Russian speakers who live in London, England. It premiered on 25 September 2013. It was directed by Emma Walsh. According to ''The New York Times
...
" (
FOX
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
). Also on: "The lifestyle of the Rich and Famous" (
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
); "How The Other Half Live" (UK
Channel 5); and on TV channels in Germany, UK, Poland, the Netherlands, Russia, Australia, Austria, Italia, Japan, the US, etc.
In 2017, Kamaliya took part in the Ukrainian TV show ''Dancing with the stars''.
In 2018, Kamaliya became a star singer of the Ukrainian TV show ''Voice-8'' and sang a Ukrainian folk song "Mesyats na nebi".
Personal life
![Kamaliya with Mohammad Zahoor](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Kamaliya_with_Mohammad_Zahoor.jpg)
In 2003, she married British/Pakistani businessman
Mohammad Zahoor
Mohammad Zahoor (born 1 August 1955) is a Ukraine-based British-Pakistani businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and owner of the ISTIL Group, a diversified trading company that included a steel mill in Donetsk, which he sold in 2009 fo ...
.
On 6 September 2013, Kamaliya gave birth to twin girls.
Charity work
![Kamaliya at the Charity Night](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Kamaliya_at_the_Charity_Night.jpg)
Kamalyia has always been committed to charitable work – long before she achieved fame and celebrity status. She performed in orphanages from the age of 16. In 2005, Kamaliya took part in the ''All Ukrainian Charity Tour'' in support of children with
AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...
. The President of Pakistan congratulated Kamaliya on her successful performance at the
World Performing Arts Festival, Lahore, Pakistan.
In 2007, she took part in the ''Svit talantiv Ukrayiny'' (All-Ukraine Children Festival), and undertook a charity mission to Pakistan by providing medicines, tents, food, blankets and other much-needed supplies.
In 2006, Kamaliya took part in an International Congress on Disaster Management in Islamabad as a Good Will Ambassador. She returned to Pakistan in 2007 on a charity mission where all of the proceeds were handed to the Pakistani government to fund the infrastructure of medical research facilities for children with heart problems, and to build a HIT education complex in Taxila. After this mission, Kamaliya won the prestigious "Person of the Year Award" alongside "Good Will Ambassador" awards.
Kamaliya being an animal lover has also taken part in an international charity program called "We Live on One Planet", to protect animals.On 23 February 2012, during a promotional trip to the
UK, Kamaliya was asked to headline their annual fundraising party organized by
World Society for the Protection of Animals
World Animal Protection, formerly The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is an international non-profit animal rights organization that has been in operation since 1981. The charity describes its vision as: A world where animal ...
(now known as World Animal Protection).
This alloy of philanthropic and music experience convinced Kamalyia to establish her own charitable foundation ''Kamaliya & Mohammad Zahoor Charitable Foundation'' in 2014. The Kamaliya Foundation helps orphanages, disabled people, and children with Downs Syndrome. Besides other activities, the Kamaliya Foundation holds annual St. Nicholas Charity Nights to raise funds for its causes.
In 2017, Kamaliya held the annual charity event ''4th St. Nicholas Charity Night'' in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
,
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
where $50,000 was raised through auction and ticket sales for buying medical equipment for the ''State Children's Cardiac Center'' in
Kyiv
Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the List of European cities by populat ...
.
In 2018, Kamaliya held the annual charity event 5th St. Nicholas Charity Night in Kyiv, Ukraine where $60,000 was raised through auction and ticket sales for buying medical equipment for the State Children's Cardiac Center in Kyiv.
Discography
Albums
*''Techno Style'' (1997) (Techno)
*''Kamaliya, with Love'' (2001) (Dance)
*''Year of the Queen'' (2007) (Dance, Pop)
*''Kamaliya'' (2012; in both English and Russian including remix version) (Eurodance)
*''Club Opera'' (2013) (Classical crossover, Dance, Eurodance, Trance, Electronic, Lirica)
*''Timeless'' (2017)
Singles
Music videos
* "Ангел снов"
* "Пока нет лета"
* "От заката до рассвета"
* "Таке ніжне почуття"
* "Метель"
* "Год были вдвоем"
* "Зонтик"
* "Скорый поезд"
* "Boom-Boom"
* "Ты - просто привычка"
* "Вдвоем"
* "Crazy in My Heart"
* "Rising Up"
* "No Ordinary Love"
* "Arrhythmia"
* "Butterflies"
* "I'm Alive"
* "Love Me Like"
* "Never Wanna Hurt You (Bad Love, Baby)"
* "Timeless"
* "Timeless" (Dutch Version)
* "Who's Gonna Love You Tonight"
* "Aphrodite"
* "Sign Your Name"
* "Рiки Кохання (Timeless – Ukrainian version)"
References
External links
*
*
*
Mrs World 2008YouTube
Meet the RussiansYouTube
{{Authority control
1977 births
Living people
People from Olovyanninsky District
Ukrainian beauty pageant winners
Ukrainian film actresses
Mrs. World winners
Ukrainian people of Russian descent
21st-century Ukrainian women singers
Ukrainian female models
Ukrainian child actresses
English-language singers from Ukraine
21st-century Ukrainian actresses
Ukrainian folk-pop singers
Synth-pop singers
20th-century Ukrainian women singers
Recipients of the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine