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.
I'm Alive
Kamaliya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know where I'm to begin
You're closer than the skin I'm in
I know I've never felt a love like that
Your every wish i can't resist
My body just Keeps giving in
When you Run your fingers up and down my back
Pre-Hands on my heart
I've never gone this far
Before now my head is
Spinning out of my control
I can't control this feeling, feeling
Cuz feelings believing, believing
Im coming alive I'm coming alive
Feels just like I'm flying flying
And there's no denying, denying
I'm coming alive I'm coming alive
When you reach for me
Then your touch it tells me everything i wanna hear
And i no longer have to be afraid
I see it clear, just love and light
And knowing you'll always be near
All I gotta is call your name
Pre-Hands on my heart
I've found the missing part
In life and I know that right here is where I belong
The song "I'm Alive" by Kamaliya is a love song that expresses the feeling of being deeply in love with someone. The opening lines set the tone by saying that the singer doesn't know where to begin because their lover is so close to them, closer than their own skin. They then go on to say that they've never felt love like this before, and that they can't resist their lover's every wish. These lines suggest that the singer is completely enamoured of their lover, and that they're willing to do anything to make them happy.
The chorus of the song expresses the intense emotions that the singer is feeling. They can't control their feelings because they're so strong, and they feel like they're coming alive. The singer feels like they're flying, and that there's no denying the intensity of their love. This reinforces the idea that the singer is completely in love with their partner, and that their emotions are so powerful that they can't be contained.
The second verse builds on the idea of the singer being completely in love with their partner. They say that their partner's touch tells them everything they want to hear, and that they no longer have to be afraid. The singer then goes on to say that they can see clearly and that they know their partner will always be there for them. This reinforces the idea that the singer's emotions are so strong that they feel completely secure in their relationship. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer has found what was missing in their life, and that they know that being with their partner is where they belong.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know where I'm to begin
I am uncertain about how to describe my emotions
You're closer than the skin I'm in
You are intimately close to me
I know I've never felt a love like that
I have never before experienced love like this
Your every wish I can't resist
I cannot resist fulfilling your every desire
My body just keeps giving in
I give in to my feelings both physically and emotionally
When you run your fingers up and down my back
When you touch me sensually
Pre-hands on my heart
Before I make this emotional decision
I've never gone this far
I have never experienced love to this level
Before now my head is spinning out of my control
My mind is overwhelmed with this new experience
I can't control this feeling, feeling
I am unable to stop feeling this way
Cuz feelings believing, believing
Because my feelings are truthful
I'm coming alive I'm coming alive
I feel reborn and renewed
Feels just like I'm flying flying
I feel elated and weightless
And there's no denying, denying
I cannot deny my emotions
I'm coming alive I'm coming alive
I am feeling alive and vibrant
When you reach for me
When you touch me
Then your touch it tells me everything I wanna hear
Your touch reassures me
And I no longer have to be afraid
I am no longer scared of being vulnerable
I see it clear, just love and light
I can see clearly, that this love is true and bright
And knowing you'll always be near
Knowing that you will always be there
All I gotta is call your name
All I need to do is to reach out to you
Pre-hands on my heart
Before I make this emotional decision
I've found the missing part
I feel complete in a way I never have
In life and I know that right here is where I belong
I finally feel like I have found my place in life
Writer(s): FAHRENKROG-PETERSEN JOERN, WIK ANNE JUDITH, SVENDSEN RONNY VIDAR, JENSSEN ROBIN, HARAMBASIC NERMIN
Contributed by Jordan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@julielung1
I like the mix of opera and pop with a great club beat
@Thisistrulyoddtv_Mark
Yeah i thinks flower duet mixed with it
@vanessakietzmann7671
The name of the Opera is "The Flower Duet" from Lakme ;) Its so beautiful
@nicr.3992
This needs to be re-released. It's a HIT!! 🎉
@qqwrlt
Недооценённая песня 🥺 Это божественно ❤
@fouadkhalil7
I was listening to this music since i have 10 years old
And i still love it so much
This music make me think in my futur 😥
@anthonylabrum5674
Im from the uk amd have to say wow
What a tune. Shame not in uk charts
Think would be a huge hit. Love it
@mariuszp.2001
Super 🔉, video 🎥👏👌👍😘❤️❤️❤️
@angi_Haze
ich kenne dieses Lied schon seit ich 12-13 bin (14 glaube ich eher nicht ) und ich liebe dieses lied immer noch, und ich bin inzwischen 16 , ich glaube nicht viele in mein alter würden so eine art von musik hören☺
@julie_endr
ESC Germany Ich auch :-)
Mir ist das Lied heute aufeinmal wieder eingefallen😊