David Korup
Professional Drummer

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Turku's Official Homepage

 Biography

David Korup was born in Kankakee, IL in 1958. He received degree in political science from Northern Illinois University in 1981. David began studying drumming at age 9, and continued through high school. Drumming remained a hobby until being introduced to the dumbek (goblet-shaped Middle Eastern drum) in 1983. In 1984 he met his teacher and mentor, Billy Woods, they have been drumming and working together ever since. He served as solo percussionist in the New Mexico Ballet Company’s production of "The Jungle Book." As a professional percussionist Korup has been active in numerous projects, most recently as drummer for Turku. He has several percussion recordings to his credit including "Eyes Behind the Veil" and "Seeds of Time," and a dumbek rhythm series called "The World of Dumbek Vols 1&2 available from Lights-on Productions, and indie lable founded by David Korup and Billy Woods.

Istanbul, "the center of the world", the only city in the world straddling two continents, Europe and Asia, is the gateway to the west for the cultures of Eurasia.  And so, Istanbul's neighborhoods, backstreets, and alleys pulse to the cultural origins of their inhabitants; Turks, Greeks, Azeri, Persians, Kurds, Turkmen, Romany.  These neighborhoods echo with their native tongues, and ring with their music and dance.  Turku takes you to on a musical tour of some of this ancient city's ethnic neighborhoods with their performance of songs and dances from the "Alleys of Istanbul".