Muruga Booker

Muruga Booker, also known as Steve Booker, Maruga, and Muruga is an American born, Serbian drummer. Muruga has a wife Shakti, son Aaron, and daughter Rani.

Related Topics:
American - Serbian

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He was born Steven Bookvich in Detroit, Michigan on December 27th, 1942. His father Melvin Bookvich was a shoe maker whoplayed accordion. Muruga first played the accordion before taking up drums as a pre-teen. Muruga studied drums under a Russian music teacher Misha Bischoff.

Related Topics:
Detroit - Michigan - 1942 - Accordion - Drums

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Muruga first played drums with The Low Rocks as Steve Booker. Under that name he achieved fame locally playing with The Low Rocks, Thunder Rocks, Ted Lucas and The Spike Drivers, and was renown for his drum solo's. He opend up for Ted Nugent, Traffic, Jack Bruce and others.

Related Topics:
The Spike Drivers - Ted Nugent - Traffic - Jack Bruce

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Through the 60's ,as Steve Booker, he recorded with Jim and Jean on Changes 1964, & People World 1966, The Paul Winter Consort's Something in the Wind, and played at the original Woodstock Festival with Tim Hardin.

Related Topics:
1964 - 1966 - Paul Winter Consort - Woodstock Festival - Tim Hardin

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At Woodstock Muruga met Swami Satchidananda who gave him the name Muruga. After Woodstock Muruga studied under Swami Satchidanandaand also recorded on a 1969 meditation record with him.

Related Topics:
Woodstock - Swami Satchidananda - 1969

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Through the 1970's Muruga recorded with Darius Brubeck, Gunter Hampel, Al Kooper, Ursa Major, and Weather Report on Sweet Nighter 1973.

Related Topics:
1970 - Al Kooper - Weather Report - 1973

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In the the late 70' and early 80's Muruga lived in New York and played with David Peel on King of Punk and Death to Disco. In 1980 Muruga moved back to Detroit where he connected with funk legend George Clinton.

Related Topics:
New York - David Peel - 1980 - Detroit - Funk - George Clinton

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Muruga's band,Muruga and the Soda Jerks, were produced by George Clinton and he also recorded with George Clinton, Funkadelic, Bootsy Collins, and the P-Funk All Stars on the following records:

Related Topics:
George Clinton - Funkadelic - Bootsy Collins - P-Funk

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1985 - George Clinton - Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends

Related Topics:
1985 - George Clinton

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1984 - Muruga & The Soda Jerks - Boogy With You (45)

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1983 - George Clinton - You Shouldnt-Nuf Bit Fish

Related Topics:
1983 - George Clinton

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1983 - P-Funk All Stars - Urban Dance Floor Guerillas

Related Topics:
1983 - P-Funk

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1982 - George Clinton - Computer Games

Related Topics:
1982 - George Clinton

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1982 - Godmama (w/Bootsy Collins) - Here

Related Topics:
1982 - Bootsy Collins

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1981 - Funkadelic - The Electric Spanking of War Babies

Related Topics:
1981 - Funkadelic

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Mid 1985 Muruga moved to Oakland California where he formed the band Muruga UFM which recorded Terroristic Activities 1986, and Rock the Planet 1993. Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist James Gurley also played with Muruga UFM.

Related Topics:
1985 - Oakland - California - 1986 - 1993 - Big Brother and the Holding Company

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Muruga continued to work with George Clinton and would play with the P-Funk whenever they performed in California and he recorded on George Clinton's Smell My Finger and The P-Funk All Stars Dope Dogs.

Related Topics:
George Clinton - P-Funk - California

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During the 90's Muruga played with Merl Saunders on Blues From the Rainforest 1992 along with Jerry Garcia, the Merl Saunders & The Rainforest Band's live CD Save the Planet So We'll Have Some Place to Boogy 1992 and Fiesta Amazonica 1998 as well as with Babatunde Olatunji and Sikiru on the CD Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations 1993 that was later remixed and put out on Chesky records as Circle of Drums 2005.

Related Topics:
Merl Saunders - 1992 - Jerry Garcia - 1998 - Babatunde Olatunji - 1993 - 2005

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Muruga moved back to the Detroit area by 2000 and currently lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since moving back to Michigan, Muruga has 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 . Muruga and The Global Village Ceremonial Band also played at several festivals including The Starwood Festival, Spirit Drum, Rhythm Fest 1 with Mickey Hart, Rhythm Fest 2 with Airto Moreira.

Related Topics:
Detroit - 2000 - Ann Arbor - Michigan - P-Funk - Belita Woods - Jazz - Clarinetist - Perry Robinson - The Starwood Festival - Mickey Hart - Airto Moreira

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In 2004 with most of the same musician as Muruga and The Global Village Ceremonial Band, Muruga formed the band Free Funk. Free Funk has played a hand full of concerts in the Detroit area

Related Topics:
2004 - Detroit

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and recorded the self titled color vinyl lp Free Funk 2005 which is being released by Qbico Records. Free Funk also features P-Funk's Belita Woods, Trey Lewd, and Louie Kabbabie.

Related Topics:
2005 - P-Funk - Belita Woods

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Muruga is also an artist and paints and draws. He is also a Sub Deacon of the Orthodox Christian faith and has been studying Iconography. Muruga also invented the Nada Drum which was sold through LP.

Related Topics:
Deacon - Orthodox Christian - Iconography - LP

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