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Revision as of 02:55, 13 November 2012
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Muruga Booker | |
|---|---|
 Muruga Booker | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Steven Bookvich |
| Born | 27 December 1942 Detroit, United States |
| Genres | Jazz Rock Ambient Free Funk Folk New Age Techno |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, businessman, Orthodox priest, yoga instructor |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, nada drum, percussion, congas, vocals, guitar, synthesizer |
| Years active | 1958–present |
| Labels | Musart, Sagittarius, Qbico, Chesky |
| Website | Musartco |
Muruga Booker (born December 27, 1942) is an American drummer, recording artist, and uncanonical Orthodox priest.
Biography
Booker was born Steven Bookvich in Detroit, Michigan on December 27, 1942 and is of Serbian decent. His father, Melvin Bookvich, was a shoemaker who played accordion. He has a wife, Shakti; a son, Aaron; and a daughter, Rani. Booker and his family moved back to the Detroit area from Oakland, California in 2000 and currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Musical career
Booker first played the accordion before taking up drums as a pre-teen. He studied drums under Misha Bischoff, a Russian music teacher. He first professionally played drums with "The Low Rocks" in Detroit as Steve Booker. Under that name he also achieved local recognition playing with the "Thunder Rocks" and Ted Lucas and The Spike Drivers, and was known for his long, driving drum solos. He shared the bill at venues like Detroit's Eastown Theatre and Grande Ballroom with Ted Nugent (2/23/70), Traffic (6/5/70 & 6/6/70), Jack Bruce (2/13/70 & 2/14/70), and others.
At the first Woodstock Festival, where he played drums with Tim Hardin, he met Swami Satchidananda who gave him the name Muruga. In the late 1970s and early 1980s Booker lived in New York and played with David Peel on "King of Punk" and "Death to Disco" and Peel's Underground Comeback Hit "Junk Rock" (Muruga introduced his "Electric Talking Drum" on this song, production was by Sherwin Winick), then moved back to Detroit in 1980 where he connected with funk legend George Clinton and became an official P-Funk All-Star. His band at that time, Muruga and the Soda Jerks, recorded several albums produced by George Clinton.
In mid-1985 he moved to Oakland, California and formed the band Muruga UFM, which included Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist James Gurley. In 1990, after performing with Prem Das on the classic drum meditation album Journey of the Drum, he joined Merl Saunders and formed Merl Saunders and the Rainforest Band with Jerry Garcia.
In 2000 Booker formed the band Muruga and The Global Village Ceremonial Band, which released the CD One Global Village, featuring P-Funk vocalist Belita Woods and jazz clarinetist Perry Robinson. They played at several festivals including the Starwood Festival, Rhythm Fest 1 with Mickey Hart, and Rhythm Fest 2 with Airto Moreira. In 2002 his recording company Musart and the Association for Consciousness Exploration co-hosted the SpiritDrum Festival, a tribute to Babatunde Olatunji, also featuring Sikiru Adepoju, Badal Roy, Jeff Rosenbaum, Halim El-Dabh, Perry Robinson, and Jim Donovan of Rusted Root.[1] In 2004, with most of the same musicians as Muruga & GVCB, Muruga formed the band Free Funk (also featuring Trey Lewd, and Louie Kabbabie), which plays mostly in the Detroit area. He also plays with jazz saxophonist Mark Hershberger, and Richard Smith as the Global Jazz Trio and Mark Hershberger's expanded five piece group as the Global Jazz Project. Booker continues to work with George Clinton and play with the P-Funk All Stars whenever they performed in California, and occasionally elsewhere.
In 2012 Muruga won a Detroit Music Award for "Outstanding World Music Instrumentalist".
Recording history highlights
Through the 1960s, as Steve Booker, he recorded with Jim and Jean on "Changes" in 1964, and on "People World" in 1966. He appeared on the Paul Winter Consort's "Something in the Wind," and recorded a meditation record with Swami Satchidananda in 1969. During the 1970s he recorded with Darius Brubeck, Gunter Hampel, Al Kooper, Ursa Major, and with Weather Report on their albums "Sweetnighter" in 1973 and "Mysterious Traveler" in 1974. Muruga's band, Muruga and the Soda Jerks, were produced by George Clinton, and he recorded with George Clinton, Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, and the P-Funk All Stars on the following records:
- 1985 - George Clinton - Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends
- 1984 - Muruga & The Soda Jerks - Boogy With You (45)
- 1983 - George Clinton - You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish
- 1983 - P-Funk All Stars - Urban Dance Floor Guerillas
- 1982 - George Clinton - Computer Games
- 1982 - Godmama (w/Bootsy Collins) - Here
- 1981 - Funkadelic - The Electric Spanking of War Babies
- 1993 - George Clinton - Hey Man, Smell My Finger
- 1995 - P-Funk All Stars - Dope Dogs
In mid-1985 his band Muruga UFM recorded "Terroristic Activities" 1990 and "Rock the Planet" 1993. In 1990 he, his wife Shakti, and Prem Das recorded the long-selling Journey of the Drums, a pioneering drum album. That same year, Booker joined Merl Saunders and Jerry Garcia to record the Grammy-nominated album (and subsequent DVD) Blues From the Rainforest, and their live CDs Save the Planet So We'll Have Someplace to Boogy (1992) and "Fiesta Amazonica" (1998). He also joined Babatunde Olatunji and Sikiru Adepoju to record the CD Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations 1993, which was later remixed and distributed on Chesky Records as Circle of Drums in 2005. With his Detroit-based band Free Funk, he recorded the self titled colored vinyl LP titled Free Funk in 2005 which was released by Qbico Records. This band released the album OrthoFunkOlogy in 2008.
Other achievements
- Booker invented the nada drum, a variation on the talking drum, which was sold through Latin Percussion.
- He is a recipient of the 1991 Hiroshima Voices for Peace award.[2]
- He was ordained as an Orthodox priest, and operates his own chapel, St. Gregory Palamas, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
- He built and operates his own recording studio, Sage Ct. Studios, as well as his own record label, Musart.
Muruga's discography solo & band members
- 2012 - Booker & Piner - Hello Forever, Never Goodbye
- 2011 - Booker, Dansby, Sauter, and Love - The Hand I Was Dealt
- 2010 - James Gurley / Muruga - It's Big Huge
- 2010 - Alex Terzian & Fr. Steven Bookvich - Kiss of Peace
- 2010 - Muruga Booker & Owen B - "Hollow Fazergate" Musart
- 2010 - Jungle (Muruga, Steven Springer, Dave Sharp) - Jungle Musart
- 2010 - Muruga Booker & Ralph Koziarski - Solstice Trance Mission Musart
- 2010 - Perry Robinson & Muruga Booker - Mystic Overflow Sagittarius/Star-#9
- 2010 - Darius Brubeck - Chaplin's Back
- 2009 - Various Artists - Woodstock: 40 Years on: Back to Yasgur's Farm (6CD, Limited Edition)
- 2009 - Peter Walker - Long Lost Tapes 1970
- 2009 - Global Jazz Project - Global Visions EmusicMasters Productions
- 2009 - Global Jazz Project - Tour of the Planet EmusicMasters Productions
- 2009 - Various Artists - Woodstock: 40 Years on: Back to Yasgur's Farm on Rhino Records
- 2008 - Muruga & Perry Robinson Dyad - Bubble Waves LP on Qbico Records
- 2008 - Free Funk - OrthoFunkOlogy on Musart
- 2007 - The White Ravens - Self Titled Album
- 2006 - Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band - One Global Village LP on Qbico Records
- 2005 - Global Jazz Trio - Live at Baker's Keyboard Lounge EmusicMasters Productions
- 2005 - Free Funk - Self Titled LP on Qbico Records
- 2005 - Babatunde Olatunji - Circle of Drums (Chesky Records)
- 2004 - Global Jazz Trio- Live in Concert at the Ark EmusicMasters Productions
- 2003 - Muruga GVCB - One Global Village Musart
- 2003 - Muruga, Dr. Chernin, & Perry Robinson - Kundalini Rhapsody Think Records
- 2003 - Global Jazz Trio - White Christmas Holiday Jazz and Spirits EmusicMasters Productions
- 2002 - Muruga GVCB - Find the Peace & Love Inside Musart
- 2002 - Weather Report - The Best of Weather Report
- 2002 - Dr. Dennis Chernin - How to Meditate Using Chakras, Mantras, and Breath Think Records
- 2001 - Mark Hershberger and EmusicMasters - World Of Survivors EmusicMasters Productions
- 1998 - Merl Saunders - Merl Saunders With His Funky Friends Live
- 1998 - Merl Saunders - Fiesta Amazonica
- 1998 - Thunder Rocks - Sabre Records Story
- 1997 - Low Rocks - Blueberry Jam (Re-Release)
- 1996 - Olatunji, Muruga, & Sikiru - Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations (Musart)
- 1995 - David Peel - Up Against The Wall
- 1995 - P-Funk All Stars - Police Doggy (EP)
- 1995 - P-Funk All Stars - Hydraulic Funk
- 1994 - Allen Ginsberg (w/ Bob Dylan) - Holy Soul Jelly Roll
- 1994 - Muruga & The Soda Jerks - George Clinton Family Series Vol. 4
- 1993 - Muruga UFM - Relix Magazine CD Sampler
- 1993 - Muruga UFM - Rock the Planet
- 1993 - George Clinton - Smell My Finger
- 1993 - George Clinton - Paint the White House Black (EP)
- 1992 - Merl Saunders - Save the Planet So We'll Have Some Place to Boogy
- 1991 - Muruga & Friends - Sacred Drum
- 1991 - Muruga & Prem Das - Ecstacy
- 1990 - Muruga - Muruga
- 1990 - Muruga & Big Black - Sangoma Drum
- 1990 - Muruga & Prem Das - Sanando Tambores
- 1990 - Merl Saunders (w/Jerry Garcia) - Blues From the Rainforest (Ryko)
- 1990 - Muruga & Prem Das - Journey of the Drums
- 1986 - Muruga UFM - Terroristic Activities
- 1986 - Muruga & David Peel - The Muruga & David Peel Experience
- 1985 - George Clinton - Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends
- 1984 - Muruga & The Soda Jerks - Boogy With You (45)
- 1983 - George Clinton - You Shouldn't-Nuf Bit Fish
- 1983 - P-Funk All Stars - Urban Dance Floor Guerillas
- 1982 - George Clinton - Computer Games
- 1982 - Godmama (w/Bootsy Collins) - Here
- 1981 - Funkadelic - The Electric Spanking of War Babies
- 1980 - Mitch Ryder - Naked But Not Dead
- 1980 - David Peel - Death to Disco
- 1979 - David Peel - Junk Rock
- 1978 - David Peel - King of Punk
- 1975 - Larry Nozero - Time
- 1973 - Weather Report - Sweet Nighter
- 1973 - Ursa Major - Ursa Major
- 1972 - Al Kooper - Naked Songs
- 1972 - Gunter Hampel - Angel
- 1971 - Darius Brubeck - Chaplins Back
- 1970 - The Rainbow Band - The Rainbow Band
- 1969 - Swami Satchidananda - Swami Satchidananda
- 1968 - Paul Winter Consort - Something in the Wind
- 1966 - Jim & Jean - People World
- 1964 - Jim & Jean - Changes
- 1962 - Semenals - Open Your Eyes
- 1961 - Keith O'Malley - You Turned Me Out Alvera - I Won't Be Far Behind
- 1960 - Low Rocks - Blueberry Jam
Filmography
- 1990 - Blues From the Rainforest Ryko UPC 00688321200424
- 2005 - One: The Movie Circle of Bliss Productions
References
- Jazz News. Global Jazz Trio: New Release. Nestor Publishers.
- Bianchi, Curt. Weather Report The Annotated Discography: Sweet Nighter
- Leikam, William C. Interview with Muruga Booker First published in Relix and Zabriski Point, 2002.
- Quinn, PT. The Return of Muruga Booker: Interview & Photos
- Williams, H. Allen. Review of the CD Live in Detroit, Global Jazz Trio at Bakers Keyboard Lounge in Jazz Review, Mar. 11, 2006.
- Interview of Muruga Booker in Ann Arbor News September 15, 2008 [1]
- Detroit Area Rock Bands Spike Drivers
- Reynalds, Susan (2009). Woodstock Revisited: 50 Far Out, Groovy, Peace-Loving, Flashback-Inducing Stories From Those Who Were There.