Steven Bookvich known as Muruga Booker (born December 27, 1942) is an American drummer, composer, inventor, artist, recording artist, and an

autonomous In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ow ...

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

priest.

Biography

Booker was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 27, 1942, at

Highland Park General Hospital The Highland Park General Hospital is a former hospital complex located at 357 Glendale Avenue in Highland Park, Michigan. It was closed in 1976 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1979 and listed on the National Register of Historic ...

, and is of Serbian descent.''The Return of Muruga Booker: Interview & Photos'' by P.T. Quinn, Recording Engineers' Quarterly (2000)
/ref> His father, Melvin Bookvich, was a shoemaker who played

accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German ''Akkordeon'', from ''Akkord''—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a reed ...

. He is married to Patti, aka Shakti, and they have a daughter named Rani, and a son named Aaron from a previous marriage. He previously lived in Detroit, New York City and

Oakland, California Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...

. Since 1985, Booker and his family have lived in

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

, where he has his own recording studio called ''Sage Ct. Studio'',''Muruga Booker and Musart''
on

Bandcamp Bandcamp is an American online audio distribution platform founded in 2007 by Oddpost co-founder Ethan Diamond and programmers Shawn Grunberger, Joe Holt and Neal Tucker, with headquarters in Oakland, California, US. On March 2, 2022, Bandcamp ...

as well as an

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...

where he is the priest,

Saint Gregory Palamas Gregory Palamas ( el, Γρηγόριος Παλαμᾶς; c. 1296 – 1359) was a Byzantine Greek theologian and Eastern Orthodox cleric of the late Byzantine period. A monk of Mount Athos (modern Greece) and later archbishop of Thessaloniki, ...

Celtic Orthodox Church.

Musical career

1950s

Booker first played the accordion before taking up drums as a preteen. He studied drums under Misha Vishkov, a Russian music teacher.

1960s

He first professionally played drums in 1961 with "The Low Rocks" in Detroit as Steve Booker."The Birth of the Detroit Sound: 1940–1964" by Marilyn Bond & S. R. Boland, Arcadia Publishing (2002) pg. 93.
/ref> Under that name he also achieved local recognition playing in 1962 with the "Thunder Rocks" and both bands released singles on the Sabre Records label, which they also created. Booker became known for his long, driving drum solos. He shared the bill at venues like Detroit's Eastown Theatre and Grande Ballroom with

Ted Nugent Theodore Anthony Nugent (; born December 13, 1948) is an American rock musician and activist. He initially gained fame as the lead guitarist and occasional lead vocalist of The Amboy Dukes, a band formed in 1963 that played psychedelic rock an ...

Traffic Traffic comprises pedestrians, vehicles, ridden or herded animals, trains, and other conveyances that use public ways (roads) for travel and transportation. Traffic laws govern and regulate traffic, while rules of the road include traffic ...

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish bassist, singer-songwriter, musician and composer. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of British rock band Cream. After the group disbande ...

Mose Allison Mose John Allison Jr. (November 11, 1927 – November 15, 2016) was an American jazz and blues pianist, singer, and songwriter. He became notable for playing a unique mix of blues and modern jazz, both singing and playing piano. After moving to N ...

Sam Lay Samuel Julian Lay (March 20, 1935January 29, 2022) was an American drummer and vocalist who performed from the late 1950s as a blues and R&B musician alongside Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Paul Butterfield, and many others. He was inducted into ...

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

and many others.''Muruga Booker'' at theconcertdatabase.com
/ref> He often performed as ''Steve Booker's New Volume''. In 1964 he began playing with folk-rock singers Jim & Jean, and also performed on their recordings ''Changes'' and ''People World'', which also featured Harvey Brooks on guitar and bass. In 1964 and 1965, Booker played and recorded with the psychedelic folk rock band The Spike Drivers, and they recorded several songs including ''Can't Stand The Pain'' and ''I'm So Glad''. In 1965 he was asked by Richard Williams''Richard Williams of 1956 group called "The Casuals"'' at garyedwardsmusic.blogspot.com
/ref> to become a member of ''The Casuals'' to back up

Brenda Lee Brenda Mae Tarpley (born December 11, 1944), known professionally as Brenda Lee, is an American singer. Performing rockabilly, pop and country music, she had 47 US chart hits during the 1960s and is ranked fourth in that decade, surpassed only ...

, and he toured with them for several months all over the USA. Starting in 1966 he began playing with

John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker (August 22, 1912 or 1917 – June 21, 2001) was an American blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist. The son of a sharecropper, he rose to prominence performing an electric guitar-style adaptation of Delta blues. Hooker often ...

at many Detroit area venues, and they were often booked as ''Hooker and Booker''.''John Lee Hooker Detroit Tube Works 1970'' on youtube
/ref> In 1968 he joined the Paul Winter and The Winter Consort, and performed on their album ''Something in the Wind''. In 1969, at the first

Woodstock Festival Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

, he played drums for

Tim Hardin James Timothy Hardin (December 23, 1941 – December 29, 1980) was an American folk and blues musician and composer. As well as releasing his own material, several of his songs, including " If I Were a Carpenter" and "Reason to Believe", becam ...

, along with cellist Richard Bock, from ''The Winter Consort''.''Weather Report The Annotated Discography: Sweet Nighter'' by Curt Bianchi
/ref> At Woodstock he met

Swami Satchidananda Satchidananda Saraswati (; 22 December 1914 – 19 August 2002), born C. K. Ramaswamy Gounder and usually known as Swami Satchidananda, was an Indian yoga guru Modern yoga gurus are people widely acknowledged to be gurus of modern yoga in a ...

who invited him to visit him at the

Integral Yoga Integral yoga, sometimes also called supramental yoga, is the yoga-based philosophy and practice of Sri Aurobindo and ''The Mother'' (Mirra Alfassa). Central to ''Integral yoga'' is the idea that Spirit manifests itself in a process of involu ...

Institute in New York City, where he gave him the name Muruga. While at the Integral Yoga Institute he became friends with pop artist

Peter Max Peter Max (born Peter Max Finkelstein, October 19, 1937) is a German-American artist known for using bright colors in his work. Works by Max are associated with the visual arts and culture of the 1960s, particularly psychedelic art and pop art. ...

, who also did the artwork for Muruga's 1970 release of ''Rama Rama/Endless Path'',''Rama Rama/Endless Path'' at Bandcamp
/ref> which was also the first recording that

Don Was Don Edward Fagenson (born September 13, 1952), known professionally as Don Was, is an American musician, record producer and record executive. Primarily a bass player, Was co-founded the funk-rock band Was (Not Was). In later years he produced s ...

engineered.

1970s

In January 1970, Booker played several songs with John Lee Hooker on a TV show called ''Detroit Tube Works'', which was syndicated and aired on TV stations all over the United States. In the early 1970s Booker often played with

, who referred to him in an interview as "dangerous and incredible" on drums. A song that was the result of a jam session with Nugent ended up becoming " Stranglehold", which was based around a drum beat and song of Booker's. In November 1971, he recorded with

Allen Ginsberg Irwin Allen Ginsberg (; June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997) was an American poet and writer. As a student at Columbia University in the 1940s, he began friendships with William S. Burroughs and Jack Kerouac, forming the core of the Beat Gener ...

and

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

on sessions at

The Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...

, New York, NY, and the resulting recordings were included on several releases by Ginsberg, including ''First Blues''''Allen Ginsberg – First Blues'' at allmusic
/ref> and Ginsberg's box-set release ''Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems & Songs''.''Allen Ginsberg – Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems & Songs'' at allmusic
/ref> The engineer on the sessions with Ginsberg and Dylan was Jack Douglas. In 1971, Muruga met

Darius Brubeck Darius Brubeck (born June 14, 1947) is an American jazz keyboardist and educator. He is the son of jazz legend Dave Brubeck. He spent many years in Durban, South Africa, as a professor and head of the Centre for Jazz and Popular Music at the Univ ...

, the son of

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

pianist

Dave Brubeck David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

, and along with

clarinetist This article lists notable musicians who have played the clarinet. Classical clarinetists * Laver Bariu * Ernest Ačkun * Luís Afonso * Cristiano Alves * Michel Arrignon * Dimitri Ashkenazy * Kinan Azmeh * Alexander Bader * Carl Baermann * ...

Perry Robinson Perry Morris Robinson (September 17, 1938 – December 2, 2018) was an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He was the son of composer Earl Robinson. Early life and education Robinson was born and grew up in New York City. He attended the Le ...

they formed the electronic experimental trio MBR.''The Darius Brubeck Ensemble – Intro By Dave Brubeck''
/ref> In 1972, they recorded the album ''Chaplin's Back'' which featured reinterpreted music compositions by actor

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

.''Darius Brubeck – Chaplin's Back'' at Discogs
/ref> In 1973, Muruga joined the

Ensemble, along with Perry Robinson. At that time, Dave Brubeck decided that he wanted his sons Darius and

Chris Brubeck Christopher Brubeck is an American musician and composer, both in jazz and classical music. As a musician, he mainly plays electric bass, bass trombone, and piano. The son of noted jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck, in 1972 he joined his fath ...

and their bands to tour with him, to open for his band the

Dave Brubeck Quartet David Warren Brubeck (; December 6, 1920 – December 5, 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer. Often regarded as a foremost exponent of cool jazz, Brubeck's work is characterized by unusual time signatures and superimposing contrasti ...

. Muruga toured as part of the Darius Brubeck Ensemble, along with Perry Robinson, and opened up for, and played alongside the quartet, which gave him the opportunity to play with Dave Brubeck, as well as alongside

Gerry Mulligan Gerald Joseph Mulligan (April 6, 1927 – January 20, 1996), also known as Jeru, was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, composer and arranger. Though primarily known as one of the leading jazz baritone saxophonists—playing the instrum ...

and

Paul Desmond Paul Desmond (born Paul Emil Breitenfeld; November 25, 1924 – May 30, 1977) was an American jazz alto saxophone, alto saxophonist and composer, best known for his work with the Dave Brubeck Quartet and for composing that group's biggest hit, " ...

and

Alan Dawson Alan Dawson (July 14, 1929 – February 23, 1996) was an American jazz drummer and percussion teacher based in Boston. Biography Dawson was born in Marietta, Pennsylvania and raised in Roxbury, Massachusetts. Serving in the U.S. Army during th ...

. Muruga performed and toured with the band at many high-profile concerts, including an appearance at

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

in New York City. In 1973 and 1974, he recorded with

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and vocali ...

''Global Jazz Trio: New Release'' Jazz News 2006 (Nestor Publishers)
/ref> on their albums ''

Sweetnighter ''Sweetnighter'' is the third studio album by American jazz fusion band Weather Report, released by Columbia Records in 1973. Writing and recording The group had recorded the songs in a five-day stretch during February of the same year. It was ...

'' and ''

Mysterious Traveller ''Mysterious Traveller'' is the fourth studio album by the jazz ensemble Weather Report and was released in 1974. This was their final recording with founding bassist Miroslav Vitouš, who left due to creative differences. Vitouš was replaced ...

''.

1980s

In the late 1970s and early 1980s Booker lived in New York City and played with David Peel on several projects including "King of Punk" and "Death to Disco". While recording "Junk Rock" with David Peel, Muruga recorded for the first time with the Nada Drum that he invented (it was referred to as an "Electric Talking Drum" on this song). In 1980 he moved back to Detroit, where he connected with

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...

legend George Clinton and became an official member of the

P-Funk All-Stars Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

. His band at that time, Muruga and the Soda Jerks, with

Sly Stone Sylvester Stewart (born March 15, 1943), better known by his stage name Sly Stone, is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer who is most famous for his role as frontman for Sly and the Family Stone, playing a critical role in the ...

on bass guitar, was recorded and produced by George Clinton and he appeared on many

Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive fu ...

and P-Funk All-Stars recordings, and related projects.''Muruga Booker P-Funk Family'' on George Clinton official website
/ref> Booker continues to work with George Clinton and play with the P-Funk All Stars as his schedule allows. In mid-1985 he moved to

, and formed the band Muruga UFM, which included

Big Brother and the Holding Company Big Brother and the Holding Company is an American rock band that formed in San Francisco in 1965 as part of the same psychedelic music scene that produced the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Jefferson Airplane. After som ...

guitarist

James Gurley James Martin Gurley (December 22, 1939 – December 20, 2009) was an American musician. He is best known as the principal lead guitarist of Big Brother and the Holding Company, a psychedelic/acid rock band from San Francisco which was fronted ...

. In 1989, he recorded with Prem Das on the drum meditation album ''Journey of the Drums'', as well as two other trance drumming recordings, that he released on his Musart record label.

1990s

In 1990 he met

Merl Saunders Merl Saunders (February 14, 1934 – October 24, 2008) was an American multi-genre musician who played piano and keyboards, favoring the Hammond B-3 console organ. Biography Born in San Mateo, California, United States, Saunders attended Polyte ...

and they formed ''Merl Saunders and the Rainforest Band'' and recorded with

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

, on the album ''Blues From the Rainforest''.''Merl Saunders – Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite'' at Discogs
/ref> They toured to support the album with

Steve Kimock Steve Kimock (born October 5, 1955) is an American rock guitarist. He was a member of San Francisco Bay Area bands Zero and KVHW. His tone and some of his playing approach has been compared to Jerry Garcia, who was a friend of his, and he has ...

on guitar, and

John Popper John Popper (born March 29, 1967) is an American musician and songwriter, known as the co-founder, lead vocalist, and frontman of the rock band Blues Traveler. Early life John Popper was born in Chardon, Ohio. His father was a Hungarian immig ...

on harmonica, and recorded ''Fiesta Amazonica'', a 2 CD live recording called ''Save the Planet So We'll Have Someplace to Boogie'' as well as a live DVD of ''Blues From The Rainforest''.''Merl Saunders – Blues From The Rainforest'' DVD at discogs
/ref>

2000s

In 2000, after moving back to Michigan a couple years prior, Booker formed the band Muruga and The Global Village Ceremonial Band,
by Jo C. Mathis: interview in

Ann Arbor News ''The Ann Arbor News'' is a newspaper serving Washtenaw and Livingston counties in Michigan. Published daily online through MLive.com, the paper also publishes print editions on Thursdays and Sundays. History Original publication Published in ...

, September 15, 2008 and released the CD ''One Global Village'', featuring P-Funk vocalist Belita Woods and Perry Robinson. They played at several festivals including the

Starwood Festival The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival, taking place every July in the United States of America. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects. Th ...

, Rhythm Fest 1 with

Mickey Hart Mickey Hart (born Michael Steven Hartman, September 11, 1943) is an American percussionist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 until February 19 ...

, and Rhythm Fest 2 with

Airto Moreira Airto Guimorvan Moreira (born August 5, 1941) is a Brazilian jazz drummer and percussionist. He is married to jazz singer Flora Purim, and their daughter Diana Moreira is also a singer. Coming to prominence in the late 1960s as a member of the ...

. In 2002 his recording company Musart and the Association for Consciousness Exploration co-hosted the SpiritDrum Festival, a tribute to

Babatunde Olatunji Michael Babatunde Olatunji (April 7, 1927 – April 6, 2003) was a Nigerian drummer, educator, social activist, and recording artist. Early life Olatunji was born in the village of Ajido, near Badagry, Lagos State, in southwestern Niger ...

, also featuring

Sikiru Adepoju Sikiru Adepoju (born 10 November 1950) is a Nigerian percussionist and recording artist, primarily in the genres of traditional African music and world music. He plays a variety of instruments and styles. Background A master of the talking d ...

Badal Roy Badal Roy ( bn, বাদল রায়; born Amarendra Roy Chowdhury; 16 October 1939 – 18 January 2022) was an Indian tabla player, percussionist, and recording artist known for his work in jazz, world music, and experimental music. B ...

Jeff Rosenbaum The Association for Consciousness Exploration LLC (ACE) is an American organization based in Northeastern Ohio which produces events, books, and recorded media in the fields of "magic, mind-sciences, alternative lifestyles, comparative religion/sp ...

Halim El-Dabh Halim Abdul Messieh El-Dabh ( ar, حليم عبد المسيح الضبع, ''Ḥalīm ʻAbd al-Masīḥ al-Ḍab''ʻ; March 4, 1921 – September 2, 2017) was an Egyptian-American composer, musician, ethnomusicologist, and educator, who ha ...

, Perry Robinson, and Jim Donovan of

Rusted Root Rusted Root is an American worldbeat rock band formed in 1990 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania by singer-guitarist Michael Glabicki (born January 21, 1971), bassist Patrick Norman and percussionist Liz Berlin. The band got its start as the house ba ...

. In 2003 he began playing and recording with jazz saxophonist Mark Hershberger, and Richard Smith (bass guitar) as the Global Jazz Trio and as a five piece group called The Global Jazz Project. Muruga no longer performs with The Global Jazz Trio or Global Jazz Project, but continues to record with Hershberger as a duo, or on various projects.''Muruga Booker'' and ''Musart Media'' on Bandcamp
/ref> In 2004, Muruga formed the band Free Funk, featuring P-Funk All-Star rapper Louie "Babblin'" Kabbabie and George Clinton's son Tracey Lewis (aka Trey Lewd). In October 2009, Muruga recorded what would become James Gurley's final recording projects, at his studio in Ann Arbor, Michigan. One of the recordings that resulted was called ''Big Huge'', and was released on limited-edition vinyl by Qbico,''James Gurley & Muruga Booker – It's Big Huge'' at Disocgs
/ref> in addition to another album with his band ''Free Funk'', called ''Selfadelic Funk''.''Free Funk – Selfadelic Funk'' on Bandcamp
/ref> ''Big Huge'' was remixed and remastered in 2016, with more songs included, and released as a digital download on

.''James Gurley & Muruga Booker – Big Huge'' at Bandcamp
/ref>

2010s

In 2010, ''Muruga Booker and The Rain Forest Band'' (featuring

on percussion, Perry Robinson on clarinet) played at the

Detroit Jazz Festival The Detroit Jazz Festival is a free jazz festival held every year during Labor Day Weekend at Hart Plaza and Campus Martius Park in Detroit, Michigan. History The festival began in 1980. Until 2000, it was known as the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Fe ...

. In 2013 he formed Muruga & the Cosmic Hoedown Band (Later renamed to Muruga Cosmic Boogie), with Muruga (drums, guitar, and vocals), Shakti Booker (vocals & drums), Parliament Funkadelic member Tony "Strat" ThomasTony Thomas discography on Discogs
/ref> (guitar), Patrick Sarniak (guitar), Benjamin Piner (bass), Douglas Weaver (bass), and Ralph Koziarski (woodwinds, brass & percussion). In 2012 & 2014 Muruga won a Detroit Music Award for "Outstanding World Music Instrumentalist". In 2014 he won the Detroit Music Award for "Outstanding World Music Recording" for "Joty Drums" by Muruga Booker, Pandit Samar Saha, & John Churchville. Booker has been the recipient of a total of six Detroit Music Awards. In 2017, in honor of John Lee Hooker's 100th birthday anniversary celebration, he formed ''Booker Blues All-Stars'' and recorded a CD with the band called ''Booker Plays Hooker''.''Booker Blues All-Stars – Booker Plays Hooker'' on Bandcamp
/ref> The band consists of Muruga (drums),

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and othe ...

inductee Billy Davis (guitar & vocals), Tony "Strat" Thomas (guitar), John Sauter (bass guitar) (who also played with ''Hooker & Booker''),

Misty Love Misty Love is an Americans, American, multi-platinum award-winning Rock music, rock, and rhythm and blues, Rhythm & Blues singing, singer, who is best known for her association with Kid Rock, Sheryl Crow, and Ben Harper. Biography Misty Love w ...

(former backup singer for

Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician, ...

), and special guest Peter "Madcat" Ruth.

Recording history highlights

Through the 1960s, as Steve Booker, he recorded with

Jim and Jean Jim and Jean, composed of Jim Glover (born 1942) and Jean Ray (1941–2007)

on ''Changes'' in 1964,''Jim & Jean – Changes''
at

allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

and on ''People World'' in 1966. He appeared on the

Paul Winter Consort The Paul Winter Consort is an American musical group. Bassist Eliot Wadopian has been a member. Discography Films *''Canyon Consort'' (1985) References External linksLiving Music- Paul Winter's record label {{Authority control American j ...

's ''Something in the Wind'' in 1968,''Paul Winter Consort – Something in the Wind'' at allmusic
/ref> and recorded a meditation record with

in 1969. During the 1970s he recorded with

Gunter Hampel Gunter Hampel (born 31 August 1937) is a German jazz vibraphonist, clarinettist, saxophonist, flautist, pianist, and composer. He became dedicated to free jazz in the 1960s, developing a record label (Birth Records) and working with Jeanne Lee, ...

Al Kooper Al Kooper (born Alan Peter Kuperschmidt; February 5, 1944) is a retired American songwriter, record producer and musician, known for organizing Blood, Sweat & Tears, although he did not stay with the group long enough to share its popularity. ...

Ursa Major Ursa Major (; also known as the Great Bear) is a constellation in the northern sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear," referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa ...

, and with

. Muruga's band, Muruga and the Soda Jerks, were produced by George Clinton, and he recorded with George Clinton,

Funkadelic Funkadelic was an American funk rock band formed in Plainfield, New Jersey in 1968 and active until 1982. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, pioneered the funk music culture of the 1970s.John, Bush. Funkadeli ...

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading n ...

, and the

P-Funk Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive ...

All Stars on many projects, and he is a lifetime member of the ''P-Funk Family''. 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

and

to record the

Grammy The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

-nominated album (and subsequent DVD) ''Blues From the Rainforest'', and their live CDs ''Save the Planet So We'll Have Someplace to Boogie'' (1992) and ''Fiesta Amazonica'' (1998). He also joined

and

to record the CD ''Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations'' 1993, which was later remixed in

surround sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener ( surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to sur ...

and distributed on

Chesky Records Chesky Records is a record company and label founded in 1978 by brothers David and Norman Chesky. The company produces high-definition recordings of music in a variety of genres, including jazz, classical, pop, R&B, folk and world/ethnic. Che ...

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. Since then he has released several albums on his label Musart, including collaborations with many jazz, funk and World Music artists.

Discography

* 1961 – Low Rocks – ''Blueberry Jam / Midnight Tears''''Low Rocks – Blueberry Jam / Midnight Tears'' Get Hip Archive Series re-release
at

Discogs Discogs (short for discographies) is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. While the site was originally created with a goal of becoming the la ...

(single) * 1964 –

Jim and Jean Jim and Jean, composed of Jim Glover (born 1942) and Jean Ray (1941–2007)

– ''Changes'' * 1965 – The Spike Drivers – ''I'm So Glad'' and ''Can't Stand The Pain'' (singles)''Spike Drivers – Folkrocking Psychedelic Innovation From The Motor City In The Mid 60s'' at allmusic
/ref> * 1968 – Jim and Jean – ''People World'' * 1968 –

– ''Something in the Wind'' * 1971 – Allen Ginsberg and Bob Dylan sessions * 1972 – Ursa Major – ''Ursa Major'' (Dick Wagner) * 1972 – Darius Brubeck – ''Chaplin's Back'' * 1973 – Weather Report –

* 1973 – Al Kooper – ''Naked Songs'' * 1974 – Weather Report –

* 1978 – David Peel & Death – ''King of Punk'' * 1978 –

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

– ''How I Spent My Vacation'' * 1981 – Funkadelic – ''The Electric Spanking of War Babies'' * 1982 – George Clinton – ''Computer Games'' * 1982 – Godmoma – ''Here'' (with Bootsy Collins) * 1983 – P-Funk All Stars – ''Urban Dance Floor Guerillas'' * 1984 – Muruga & The Soda Jerks – ''Boogy With You'' (single) * 1985 – George Clinton – ''Some of My Best Jokes Are Friends'' * 1989 – Prem Das, Muruga, and Shakti – ''Journey of the Drums'' * 1990 –

and The Rainforest Band – ''Blues From the Rainforest'' (with

) * 1990 – Muruga – ''Muruga'' * 1992 – Muruga U.F.M. (Unified Field Marshals) – ''Rock The Planet'' * 1993 – Muruga & The Soda Jerks – ''George Clinton's Family Series: Testing Positive 4 The Funk'' * 1993 – George Clinton – ''Hey Man... Smell My Finger'' * 1994 –

, Muruga, Babatunde Olatunji – ''Cosmic Rhythm Vibrations'' * 1994 – Allen Ginsberg – ''Holy Soul Jelly Roll: Poems & Songs'' (with Bob Dylan) * 1995 – P-Funk All Stars – ''

Dope Dogs ''Dope Dogs'' is a 1994 album by Parliament-Funkadelic (also known as P-Funk All Stars). The album was first released on the P-Vine label in Japan. It was later released on the Hot Hands label in the United Kingdom. The United States release on the ...

'' * 1995 – Parliament, Funkadelic, P-Funk All Stars Presents With Primal Scream – ''Police Doggy'' * 1995 – P-Funk All Stars – '' Hydraulic Funk'' * 1995 – David Peel & the Lower East Side – ''Up Against the Wall'' * 1998 – Merl Saunders & the Rainforest Band – ''Fiesta Amazonica'' * 1998 – Merl Saunders With His Funky Friends – 'Live!' * 2003 –

Buzzy Linhart William Charles "Buzzy" Linhart (March 3, 1943 – February 13, 2020) was an American rock performer, composer, multi-instrumentalist musician and actor. Early life Linhart was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and raised in Cleveland, Ohio ...

– ''Presents the Big Few'' * 2005 – Babatunde Olatunji – ''Circle of Drums'' * 2005 – Global Jazz Trio – ''Live in Detroit: Global Jazz Trio at Baker's Keyboard Lounge'' * 2009 – Global Jazz Project – ''Out Of This World: Live At The 30th Annual Detroit International Jazz'' * 2009 – Peter Walker – ''Long Lost Tapes 1970'' * 2010 – James Gurley & Muruga Booker – ''Big Huge'' *2011 – David Leikam & Muruga Booker – ''After the Ice Cream'' (with John Churchville) * 2012 – Muruga Booker, Pandit Samir Saha, John Churchville – ''Joty Drums'' * 2013 – Muruga & The Cosmic Hoedown Band – ''Changing The Sound of Your Room'' * 2013 – ''Woodstock 40 Years On: Back to Yasgur's Farm'' (with Tim Hardin) *2014 – David Leikam & Muruga Booker – ''Lunar Frequencies / Solar Rhythms'' * 2016 – Muruga & The Worms – ''Muruga & The Worms'' (with James Gurley) * 2016 – Wormhole Cafe (feat. P-Funk All-Stars & more) – ''At The Wormhole Cafe'' * 2016 – Muruga Cosmic Boogie – ''Harmonious World'' * 2017 – Muruga Booker – ''Bio-Harmonic Rhythms'' * 2017 – Booker Blues All Stars – ''Booker Plays Hooker'' * 2017 – Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band – ''Muruga & The Global Village Ceremonial Band'' (remastered) * 2018 – Muruga Booker – ''Within The Within'' * 2020 – Muruga Booker – ''Boom Zoom'' * 2021 – Booker & Bridges DaLight – ''World Jamdemic'' * 2021 – Muruga Cosmic Boogie – ''All Night Long''

Filmography

* 1970 –

at Detroit Tube Works (televised) * 1990 – Merl Saunders – ''Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite'' Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs * 2000 – Merl Saunders – ''Blues From The Rainforest: A Musical Suite'' * 2005 – '' One: The Movie'', Circle of Bliss Productions * 2012 – ''Groovemonster'', Quantum Media Arts * 2014 – ''Border City Music Project'' documentary * 2022 – ''Sitting Bull Standing Tall'', Media Stream LLC

Other achievements

* In 1984 Booker invented and patented the nada drum, a variation on the

talking drum The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum from West Africa, whose pitch can be regulated to mimic the tone and prosody of human speech. It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords, which allow the player to change the pitc ...

, which was sold through

Latin Percussion {{for, the company, Latin Percussion Latin percussion is a family of percussion, membranophone, lamellophone and idiophone instruments used in Latin music. Instruments Afro-Cuban and Puerto Rican styles Folkloric and Santeria * Trap drums * Abakua ...

. * He is a recipient of the 1991 Hiroshima Voices for Peace award. * He was ordained as a priest in the Orthodox Church, and operates his own autonomous church, St. Gregory Palamas Orthodox Church, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. * He built and operates his own recording studio, Sage Ct. Studios, and founded his own record label, Musart, which he currently distributes through Bandcamp. * He has won several Detroit Music Awards in various categories including "Outstanding World Music Instrumentalist". * He won 2 "Best of Washtenaw County" Reader's Choice Awards.''"Best of Washtenaw"'' Current Magazine
/ref>

References

External links

World Music Central: Muruga Booker

Muruga Booker Bandcamp Page

The Muruga Band on Tunecore
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Booker, Muruga 1942 births Living people Musicians from Detroit American funk drummers American male drummers Converts to Hinduism American Hindus Avant-garde jazz musicians American people of Serbian descent P-Funk members 20th-century American drummers American male jazz musicians Rainforest Band members Paul Winter Consort members