Musician Zulya Kamalova passes away in Melbourne after impactful career in Australia

Zulya Kamalova, a musician of Tartar heritage, passed away on September 18, 2024, in Melbourne after a brief battle with cancer. She immigrated to Australia in the 1990s, where she developed a unique musical style blending her cultural roots with her new environment. Kamalova's career flourished in Australia, where she released nine albums and won multiple awards, including the ARIA for Best World Music Album in 2007. She was known for modernizing Tatar-language music and was a significant figure in the Australian folk music scene. In 2022, she became the director of the Boite, a Melbourne organization celebrating world music. This year, she was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Australian Folk Music Awards, recognized for her contributions to music and culture.