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Giulliana Merello

Documented by Drum Faster

Karol G's drummer from 2020 to 2024, through the stadium years — and a Modern Drummer cover in 2022. From Buenos Aires, based in New York, and the founder of the all-female percussion project Top Queens as well as the back-to-back drum duo Back to Back Beat.

Read our full Giulliana Merello feature →

2022 — The Karol G stadium rig

Reggaeton and Latin trap are programmed genres, so the live drummer plays alongside tracks and has to replicate a produced sound while supplying the human energy that moves a stadium. The Lowboy beater is a small, telling detail: wooden beaters give a far more defined attack than felt, which is what a kick needs to be audible under that production.

Bass drum — Gretsch kit Floor tom — Gretsch kit Rack tom — Gretsch kit Rack tom — Gretsch kit
The 2022 kit at a glance. Tap a piece to find it below; sticks, pedals and hardware aren't drawn.
Gretsch kit a listed Gretsch artist; she has also toured on Sonor shells ⤷ who plays this
Lowboy bass drum beater wooden — a much more defined attack than felt ⤷ who plays this
Oruga percussion boutique Latin percussion ⤷ who plays this

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