About Muruga
Muruga was born Steven Bookvich in Detroit, Michigan on December 27th, 1942. His father Melvin Bookvich was a shoe maker who played accordion. Muruga first played the accordion before taking up drums as a pre-teen. Muruga studied drums under a Russian music teacher Misha Bischoff.
Muruga first professionally played drums with "The Low Rocks" in Detroit as Steve Booker. Under that name he achieved fame locally playing with not only "The Low Rocks," but the "Thunder Rocks," Ted Lucas and The Spike Drivers, and was renown for his long, driving drum solo's. He was on the same bill at venues like Detroit's Eastown Theatre and Grande Ballroom as Ted Nugent(2/23/70), Traffic(6/5/70 & 6/6/70), Jack Bruce(2/13/70 & 2/14/70) and others.
Through the 60's ,Steve Booker recorded with Jim and Jean ..s" 1964, & "People World" 1966, The Paul Winter Consort's "Something in the Wind," and played drums at the original Woodstock Festival with Tim Hardin.
At Woodstock Steve Booker met Swami Satchidananda who gave him the name Muruga. After Woodstock Muruga studied under Swami Satchidananda and also recorded on a 1969 meditation record with him.
Through the 1970's Muruga recorded with Darius Brubeck, Gunter Hampel, Al Kooper, Ursa Major, and Weather Report on "Sweet Nighter" 1973.
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.
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 such records as "Computer Games", "You Shouldnt-Nuf Bit Fish", "The Electric Spanking of War Babies", "Godmama", and "Smell My Finger" to name a few.
Mid 1985 Muruga moved to Oakland California where he formed the band Muruga UFM which recorded "Terroristic Activities" 1990, and "Rock the Planet" 1993. Big Brother and the Holding Company guitarist James Gurley also played with Muruga UFM. It was during the early 90s that Muruga, Prem Das and others recorded the long selling "Journey of the Drums." It was a pioneering drum album. As well, during that time, Muruga urged Merl Saunders to record "Blues from the Rain Forest." Jerry Garcia came in and played on that Grammy nominated album. Muruga recorded on 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 distributed on Chesky records as "Circle of Drums" 2005.
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."
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.
In 2004 Muruga formed the band Free Funk who most recently opened up for George Clinton and the P-Funk in Columbus Ohio at the Newport and played Rhythm Fest 3 at Nelson Ledges Query Park on the same bill as Moe, Mickey Harte, and George Clinton and P-Funk.Free Funk released a self titled color vinyl lp in 2005 on Qbico Records and are currently getting ready to release their latest CD "OrthoFunkOlogy" featuring tabla legend Badal Roy in early 2009.
View MURUGA FREE FUNK's EPK