For someone crowned Mrs. World 2008, Natalia Shmarenkova’s demeanor is refreshingly devoid of elitism and celebrity arrogance. In Ukraine, she is more known as a pop singer under the stage name of Kamaliya. She hopes the world will know her soon as a movie actress.
Kamaliya is the wife of new Kyiv Post owner and publisher, Mohammad Zahoor. Outside of business circles, he was the lesser-known of the pair, at least until he started spending some of his fortune to buy real estate and media companies.
Married in 2003, the couple has lofty ambitions, talent and the financial means to achieve them.
Kamaliya, 32, plans to appear in a Hollywood movie, launch her own television show and pass on her tiara at the next Mrs. World show to be held in Vietnam in September.
A professional musician, singer, model and rising actress, she did not get it all just by marrying the right man. Before meeting Zahoor, she worked on her own career and racked up awards at state festivals. Although never topping the charts or filling stadiums, she has an audience appreciative of her soprano and waist-deep blond hair.
Winning the Mrs. World beauty pageant for married women in 2008 was one of the highest points in her career. “I wanted to show women in Ukraine that being married does not mean it’s the end of it all. We can always be beautiful,” Kamaliya said. “Moreover, the contest is about family values, self-accomplishment and helping those less fortunate.”
She was born to a military family in far-off Chita Oblast in Russia. When Kamaliya turned three, her father was deployed in Budapest, thus starting their lifelong wandering around the world. “We never really had a home,” said Inna Shmarenkova, Kamaliya’s mother. “So we had enough of this feeling of nostalgia and now want to be in one place.”
Shmarenkova never detached herself from her pre-school daughter from the moment she walked her to the vocals studio for the first time. A professional singer herself, she remains Kamaliya’s producer, agent and sidekick to this day.
Failing to strike powerful friendships in turbulent 1990s, they did not secure mainstream fame. After the fall of the Soviet Union, newly minted millionaires not only ran steel mills and grain factories. They also made inroads into show business as well.
“At that time, there was a division into clans,” Shmarenkova said. “We didn’t really side with anyone because I felt it was dangerous and then we started feeling the pressure. When Kamaliya was supposed to go on stage, suddenly there would not be enough air time for her, or a microphone would get turned off.”
Exuberant and spontaneous, Kamaliya does not seem to be put off by the fickle fortunes of her past. Beauty contests and film roles are good enough omens for long-term prospects on stage.
About her part in the coming Hollywood film, “The Accident,” to be produced by Klaus Menzel, she says little but with evident pride. According to the plot, she said, she is a friend of Natalie Portman, the famous American actress known for her parts in “Leon,” “Star Wars” and “Closer,” among others. “I will be a singer of Eastern European origin and Portman will be a friend of mine who will live at my place taking singing classes. In one of the scenes, she’ll be reciting rap and I will be singing a classical song.” Talks are in progress with Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas to be also cast in this drama, according to Kamaliya. Her movie debut was in the “Merry Widow”, a comedy expected to hit the big screen this year.
“I treat it as job, I am not afraid to be sucked up by Hollywood,” she said, voicing her intentions to keep living in Ukraine. She met Zahoor six years ago at a private dinner. He hired her to perform a concert for his steelworkers in Donetsk.
The couple could be based anywhere – Russia, England, the United States or even Pakistan – but they have chosen to remain in Ukraine.
The interiors of their home in elite Koncha-Zaspa region in the suburbs of Kyiv are designed to resemble the famous billowing sail hotel, Burj Al Arab, in Dubai. Dominated by golden and striking rainbow colors, the mansion is a blend of Asian and Arabic tastes. Three playful dogs, a couple of bunnies, a few parrots and one lazy cat are company for the lady of the house.
Talkative and energetic, she appears eager for a big break in her career – on the big screen or on TV. She started filming a pilot TV program “Coffee with Kamaliya,” in which she interviews celebrities about their climb to fame. “The idea is to show younger people that popularity does not come by accident but is rather a product of hard work.” She also plans to shoot another program about charity.
Butterflies
Kamaliya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I want it so bad
I can't control it
Can you take that
Now boy you ready or not
You better keep up, you gotta keep up, up, up, up
I need your touch on my skin
Tell me your secret, I'll keep it
And you can have mine
So put your hand on your heart
And I'll do my part, and I'll do my part
Baby all we got is right now
I know we're gonna make it somehow
If even only for just one night
Chasing butterflies, butterflies
Holding on until the sunrise
Kept alive by the moonlight
Never thought that we could get so high
Chasing butterflies, butterflies -- chasing butterflies
The music's fuel to the flame
Our motivation
We're calling out to the world and to every nation
Let's come together as one -- now we can make it
Yeah we can do it
Because tonight we run it just like we own it
Yeah tonight we get it just like we want it
Go with the lyrical flow
It's time we get low, it's time we get low
In Kamaliya's song Butterflies, the singer expresses her desire to live in the moment with someone she cares about deeply. She speaks of her intense longing for physical intimacy and asks her partner to keep up with her. The lyric "Can you take that" reinforces her need for a partner who is just as passionate as she is. Kamaliya goes on to explain that she wants to explore her partner's secrets while keeping her own. She urges him to be vulnerable with her and promises to do the same. Together, they will embark on a journey of chasing "butterflies," which metaphorically represents the feeling of fleeting happiness and freedom.
The chorus of the song explains that they may only have one night together, but they will make the most of it. They will hold on to each other until the sunrise, and their love will be kept alive by the moonlight. Kamaliya's lyrics suggest the idea of being in the moment and living for now. The music is described as fuel to the flame and a motivation that brings them together as one. The singer urges everyone to come together and states that anything is possible tonight.
Overall, Butterflies is a song about passion, living in the moment, and embracing the idea of fleeting happiness. Kamaliya's lyrics explore the concept of chasing something that elevates us and makes us feel alive.
Line by Line Meaning
You know I want
I have a strong desire for something
I want it so bad
This desire is intense
I can't control it
It's difficult for me to restrain the desire
Can you take that
I'm asking if the other person is willing to handle it
Now boy you ready or not
I'm questioning if the other person is ready for this
You better keep up, you gotta keep up, up, up, up
I need the other person to match my energy and keep up with my desires
I need your touch on my skin
I desire physical intimacy
I want it tonight
I want this desire fulfilled soon
Tell me your secret, I'll keep it
I want to establish trust and connection
And you can have mine
I'm willing to share something personal in exchange
So put your hand on your heart
I'm suggesting a physical touch to signal emotional connection
And I'll do my part, and I'll do my part
I'm committed to fulfilling my part of the emotional/sexual exchange
Baby all we got is right now
I'm emphasizing the importance of the present moment
I know we're gonna make it somehow
I'm optimistic about our chances of success
If even only for just one night
I'm recognizing that this may only be a temporary experience
Chasing butterflies, butterflies
I'm comparing this experience to chasing something beautiful and elusive
Holding on until the sunrise
I want to keep this experience going until morning
Kept alive by the moonlight
I'm acknowledging the romantic atmosphere of nighttime
Never thought that we could get so high
I'm surprised at how intense and exhilarating this experience is
The music's fuel to the flame
I'm pointing out that the music is adding to the excitement
Our motivation
The desire we're feeling is driving us
We're calling out to the world and to every nation
I'm suggesting that this experience is universal and can be understood by everyone
Let's come together as one -- now we can make it
I'm promoting unity and collaboration to achieve our goals
Yeah we can do it
I'm expressing confidence in our ability to succeed
Because tonight we run it just like we own it
We're in control of this experience and making the most of it
Yeah tonight we get it just like we want it
We're fulfilling our desires as we see fit
Go with the lyrical flow
I'm suggesting we let the music guide us
It's time we get low, it's time we get low
I'm suggesting we get physically closer and intimate
Contributed by Skyler W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@dapuplay
You know I want
I want it so bad
I can't control it
Can you take that
Now boy you ready or not
You better keep up, you gotta keep up, up, up, up
I need your touch on my skin
I want it tonight
Tell me your secret, I'll keep it
And you can have mine
So put your hand on your heart
And I'll do my part, and I'll do my part
Baby all we got is right now
I know we're gonna make it somehow
If even only for just one night
Chasing butterflies, butterflies
Holding on until the sunrise
Kept alive by the moonlight
Never thought that we could get so high
Chasing butterflies, butterflies -- chasing butterflies
The music's fuel to the flame
Our motivation
We're calling out to the world and to every nation
Let's come together as one -- now we can make it
Yeah we can do it
Because tonight we run it just like we own it
Yeah tonight we get it just like we want it
Go with the lyrical flow
It's time we get low, it's time we get low
@TDItaly98
When I was younger my sister made me discover this and it took me years to find it again! I’m so happy
@nuriacuevas
Me acordaba que me encantaba de pequeña , me ha costado encontrarla pero Dios que recuerdos 😍😍😍
@alexandraromanescu5576
Qué bueno que la encontraste, me trae buenos recuerdos.
@marylindolli1276
stupenda nn so cm ha fatto a mettere insieme due generi totalmente diversi. Ci fa amare di più il lirico cosi
@sophinacoligenet5654
I was looking for this for years OH MY GOD I FINALLY FOUND THE TITTLE MY LIFE IS OVER 😭😭😭😭
@margotm1852
OMGGGGG SAME !!! I've been looking for it actively for 2 years it was somehow always stuck in my head and no one could help lmaooo I'm so glad I've found it
@gabrilele2003
SAME! I’VE BEEN LOOKING FOR THE TITLE SINCE EVER
@margotm1852
@@gabrilele2003 That's crazy how it has beeen stuck in our heads for so long its almost scary to me ahahah
@gabrilele2003
@@margotm1852 HAHAHAHAH RIGHT! Can’t stop listening....also I’m alive is such a good song
@omaramaya753
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