Aloukie - Zulya and The Children of The Underground, Live @ The National Folk Festival

A solo performance of traditional Tartar air Aloukie, by Zulya Kamalova. Multi award-winning ZULYA KAMALOVA is the leading proponent of Tatar and Russian music in Australia as well as one of the most versatile and accomplished vocalists on the world music scene today. Since her move to Australia in 1991 ZULYA has developed a totally original approach as an affirmation of her unique identity - an affirmation that takes her Tatar and Russian background to totally new places and in completely new ways. When Zulya joined forces with the Children of the Underground in 2004 Australian world music would never be the same again. An act as intriguing and beguiling as this is extremely rare in this country, if not the world. Zulya and The Children of the Underground perform exquisite original music inspired by Zulya’s Tatar and Russian roots. Zulya’s music defies being labeled, but has been described as “Kurt Weillish, Euro-Cabaret jazz [collides with] lullabies constructed to tear your heart out.“ Eight years, three albums, two ARIA nominations and one ARIA award after their formation, the ensemble is placed firmly at the crossroads of restlessness and the sublime. The result: a transformative concert music that is haunting and nuanced , with Zulya’s smouldering vocals supported and enriched by accordion, trumpet, guitar, double bass and percussion. Their most recent album, Tales of Subliming is a rich tribute to the group’s continued search for the elusive connection between ensemble, composition, and performance. ZULYA and The Children of the Underground’s albums upon their release in Europe spent several months in the top 10 of European world music charts - a feat no other Australian album has ever achieved. Their work has been repeatedly featured on national radio and television to high acclaim. During the last few years Zulya and band have performed at many major venues and festivals in Europe, Russia, Tatarstan, and of course in Australia, including The Moods (Zurich, Switzerland), Kulturbrauerei (Berlin, Germany), Savoy Teatteri (Helsinki, Finland), Porgy and Bess and SARGFABRIK (Vienna, Austria), Kulturfabrik (Luxembourg), Red Square (Moscow, Russia), Creation of Peace Festval (Kazan, Tatarstan), Living Water Festival (Altai Mountains, Siberia), Red Club (, Russia), WOMADELAIDE (SA), QPAC - Women in Voice (Qld), Sydney Opera House and Angel Place (NSW), The Basement (NSW), Melbourne Recital Centre, Iwaki Auditorium, Bennetts Lane(Vic), National Folk Festival (ACT), 10 Days On The Island Arts festival (Tas), Woodford Folk Festival (Qld), Brisbane Biennial Festival of Music (Qld), Apollo Bay Music Festival (Vic), Kulcha (WA) and many others etc.