Kamaliya

Kamaliya, born Natalya Shmarenkova (Наталья Шмаренкова), is a Ukrainian singer, actress, television presenter, model, and philanthropist.

Born on May 18, 1977, in Zabaikallye, Chita Oblast, USSR, she grew up in a military family, which led her to travel from a young age, including to Budapest at the age of three. Her mother, Inna Shmarenkova, herself a professional singer, accompanied her from her early beginnings in the vocal studio and remained her producer and manager.

She built her show business career in Ukraine, where she is primarily known by her stage name Kamaliya for her pop singing career. Her musical repertoire is associated with genres such as Eurodance and dance, and she is sometimes described as having a soprano voice.

Alongside music, Kamaliya distinguished herself in beauty pageants. She won the titles of “Miss South Ukraine” and “Miss Open – Odessa” in 2003, and was crowned Mrs. World in 2008. She expressed that this title was dear to her to demonstrate that marriage is not an end and to promote family values and personal fulfillment.

She also developed an acting career, with her first film role in the comedy “Merry Widow”. She mentioned an upcoming role in a Hollywood film titled “The Accident”, produced by Klaus Menzel, where she would portray an Eastern European singer.

In television, she began filming a pilot show called “Coffee with Kamaliya”, where she interviews celebrities about their path to fame, with the idea of showing that success is the result of hard work. She also plans a show about charity.

She has been married since 2003 to businessman Mohammad Zahoor, whom she met at a private dinner after being hired for a concert for his steelworkers in Donetsk. The couple chose to reside in Ukraine, in the elite Koncha-Zaspa area near Kyiv.