Kemal Zülal was born in 1962 in Izmir. He completed his primary, middle, and high school education in Izmir. In the 1988–1989 academic year, he graduated from the Ege University State Turkish Music Conservatory. That same year, he began working as an artistic lecturer at the Gaziantep University State Turkish Music Conservatory. During his tenure there, he held various administrative roles such as Deputy Director of the Conservatory, Head of Department, and Head of Main Art Branch.

In the 1999–2000 academic year, he returned to his alma mater in Izmir as a lecturer, where he also served as Deputy Director, Assistant Department Head, and Head of Main Art Branch. He retired in 2020.

His musical journey began at the age of seven, when he met the renowned folk musician Aşık Mahsuni Şerif. Throughout his career, Yusuf Kemal Zülal has participated in and led various research projects, field studies, and musical initiatives. His work on Turkish folk music and traditions from the Gaziantep region contributed significantly to the preservation of regional crafts, music, and culture. He has taken part in numerous radio and TV programs, collaborated with the Turkish World Music Ensemble under the Ministry of Culture, and performed many concerts with them. Over the course of his career, he gave concerts both solo and with ensembles in Turkey and abroad, and participated in educational seminars and symposia. In the Izmir area, he has served as a cultural and arts advisor for many local governments and has pioneered efforts to promote music education through municipal institutions. He continues his musical and cultural work to this day.