< PreviousModern Drummer June 2022 28 W hen I met Giulliana Merello I didn’t know what to expect. In front of me sat a brilliant young woman who had one of the biggest drumming gigs in the world playing with superstar Karol G. I didn’t know what I would discover, but what unfolded was an amazing and motivating narrative about how Giulliana was able to arrive where she is today. Throughout her career, Giulliana has overcome the trials and tribulations that would halt most individuals. Not only as a drummer, but as a person reaching for success. The fact that she never quit is illustrative of her strong character. Giuilliana had early success in her native Argentina but would quickly realize that those accomplishments would not be enough to advance her career in the United States. Starting a career in music is difficult in and of itself but moving your career to New York City without speaking English creates even more difficulties. Despite this, she was able to overcome those obstacles and make Karol G’s Giulliana Merello Story By: Daniel “Ziggy” Laverde Felipe OrviJune 2022 Modern Drummer 29Modern Drummer June 2022 30 Felipe OrviJune 2022 Modern Drummer 31 MD: How did you originally become interested in playing music and drums? GM : Ever since I was six years old, I loved instruments. At 13 I knew that I just wanted to make music and play drums. I was never an academic, I tried, but it was always difficult. I went to a classical music conservatory for 3 years. After that, I went to a contemporary music school. The goal was to meet all the people I possibly could and learn from everyone I could. I never stopped. An evangelist church in the Villa Crespo neighborhood (Argentina) opened its doors to me. They had seen me peeking into the windows every day to stare at their drum kit. I went in and played there for a few years. From there, I started working on other things to pay for my classes. I started studying with all the teachers in Buenos Aires. With some instructors, it was a few classes, I spent more time with others, but I always knew that I wanted to play. MD: When you started to go out and gig, how many bands did you play in? GM: I had about seven bands that I was playing with at the same time. There were lots of bands that needed a drummer. I never discriminated against the style of music or the musicians. I just wanted to be on the move and have a place where I could play. I bought my first drum kit when I was 18 or 19 years old and I needed to play and find a musical outlet. MD: What kind of material were you playing? GM : They were mainly covers MD : You started to go out and play with a lot of bands, but how did you get to the touring or professional level? GM : After about eight years of playing with all of those bands, I started to play more professionally and met some important people. When you’re playing music everywhere, you get the opportunity to meet more and more people. The possibilities open up. I met a guy who was a great blues player in Argentina, he invited me to play with him. I started playing in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and then went on tour with him to South and Central America. From there, each step of my professional journey got better and better. I started to meet more and more professional musicians and started to go on tour to other cities and other countries. The craziest thing to me at the time was that I was earning my own money doing what I love the most. I recorded several albums. I started playing and recording blues music with the greatest artists in Argentina. I also got into the folklore environment and I recorded with other great artists of that style while playing around Buenos Aires and on many TV shows. MD : Was networking a big part of getting your start? GM : Yes! It helped me a lot. I love to connect and talk to people. You never know who the person that is standing next to you might be. You never know who is watching your show, or watching you play. I was never thinking that I’m going to talk to people because I want to get gigs, I just love to meet people because that’s my personality. Networking is important because with people around you, you will grow and go further. We always need people next to us. MD: You even played a stadium in Argentina, tell me more about that? GM : At the age of 19, I got a gig to play with a very important Argentinian keyboardist named Ciro Fogliatta. I played with Ciro Fogliatta and Brian Ray (guitarist for Paul McCartney) for two nights at the Luna Park Stadium opening for John Fogerty. MD: Were you nervous? GM : No, I wasn’t nervous I was thinking “okay, I can do this!” I was very confident. MD: How did you start your band Top Queens? GM : I always loved funk and soul. My dad is a lover of disco music and has a huge collection of records. That style of music was in my blood more than any other. I started listening to Tower of Power songs because my drum teacher gave me several of David Garibaldi’s grooves to learn and study. In the middle of a tour, it her dreams come true. With Giulliana, it is apparent that hard work, never giving up, and always finding a way, helped her achieve her goals; to play the drums at the highest level. However, becoming a touring drummer wasn’t all that Giulliana set out to acheive. She currently has her own funk project of all women musicians and is proving the doubters wrong. For women in the music industry prejudice is widespread, but this did not stop Giulliana in succeeding and coming out on top. What I learned from Giulliana is that no matter what challenges you face as a female in the music industry, you can always find a way to make your dreams come true. Today, Giulliana is planning to tour North America with Karol G starting in September of 2022, but I got to witness Guilliana perform in Barranquilla, Colombia a few months back, and it was a great performance. The women in Karol’s band put on a fantastic show in a performance that crosses the boundaries of reggaeton music. Giulliana’s drumming is a must-see for anyone who wants to experience how powerfully a woman can play the drums . Modern Drummer June 2022 32 Felipe OrviJune 2022 Modern Drummer 33 occurred to me to put together a Tower of Power tribute band. It was an excuse to learn more of their songs and study them in the best way possible, while playing their music with other musicians. That’s how Top Queens was born. It just so happened that we were almost all women musicians, and at that time women musicians were more of a minority than we are now. I decided that the entire band would be made up of women. When I first envisioned the band, I thought we could be really successful because our first show was sold out. From there, we started playing in bigger and bigger places. We faced a great deal of prejudice because the band consisted of 11 women. Many people would come to see us play with a derogatory point of view. We just proved them wrong! Imagining and thinking big is freeing to me. The next thing that happened was a high point of my life. I received an email from Tower of Power’s singer with a proposal to go on tour in the US and Europe in support of his solo project. However, we were undocumented Latinas in the middle of nowhere and it was very difficult back then, we tried everything, but we couldn’t do the tour. Visas were very expensive and some of the girls didn’t even have passports, it was going to be a very lengthy process. But I had a goal and I wanted to make it happen. I decided to sell almost everything I had to produce a show in Argentina, and I proposed the idea of him and his musical director flying to Argentina to do a show with us. I was 22 years old, and I had nothing to lose. They agreed and we did it. They flew from Texas to Buenos Aires, and I had the learning experience of my life. I spent the week rehearsing with singer Larry Braggs and musical director Phil Redmond. We were rehearsing about 8 hours a day, and played at La Trastienda, which is one of the most prestigious venues in Buenos Aires. I can honestly say that it was the best musical experience of my life, it was a full-circle moment for me and it showed me a new musical path. MD: That must have been a surreal moment for you. You mentioned to me that you would study David Garibaldi’s grooves did you ever meet him? GM: Yes, I have a great relationship with David Garibaldi, he even wrote a letter of recommendation for me to come to the United States. MD : What made you move to New York City? GM : I was 22 and I wanted to experience the New York City music scene. Many people talk about how big the city is, so I went to NYC to visit, and I decided that I wanted to move there. I left Argentina behind to follow my path. As many people know, leaving your comfort zone is not easy. Neither is leaving family and friends. But if you have the will, and if you really believe in yourself, anything can be done. I didn’t speak any English, but I saw myself in New York City. I got to New York City and moved to Bushwick, Brooklyn. I didn’t know how to say a single word in English. I got used to drinking plain black coffee, and it made a hole in my stomach, but I could only say “Hello, Coffee Please?” It was very difficult for me to communicate, and it didn’t work out for me a lot of the time. People would talk to me and ask me how I was, but I didn’t answer. I learned to get by with gestures or to say “yes” to everything. People would ask me something and I would just smile and say “yes!” Music was the only way I could truly communicate my emotions. Music is a great language. I was lucky enough to meet people at the beginning who accepted and helped me. New Yorkers are the best, they have grown up in the most cosmopolitan city in the world. You can encounter a person with a different nationality on every corner in New York. The first 6-8 months in the city were very difficult for me. I had to put up with not talking, not being able to touch anyone, and living with six people in the same apartment. Not to mention the extreme cold between December and April. MD: What happened to your mental health during this time? GM : Psychologically it was bad. I became very depressed for almost two years. It was a very hard time. I had hardly had any gigs or friends.. Some people come to New York to study and have many distractions. They can get distracted by going out and meeting people and experiencing the city. However, when you move to the city and have nothing lined up, you start at zero. I didn’t have much money to go out and do things or meet people. But I had to be strong in those moments and realize that it would eventually pass. There are some people that give up and move back home, but if you persevere you can make it. MD : How did you overcome these challenges and start getting work? GM : I started to post ads on websites like craigslist to try and get gigs. I eventually found some jam sessions through some people I knew and online. My partner, Ignacio Rivas, who is also an incredible drummer, was the first to open major doors for me in the music industry in New York City. He was offered a major tour but turned it down because he was too busy with other projects and wanted to help me advance in the industry, so he recommended me. The tour was about 38 shows and lasted about a month and a half. It was exciting because I was in a new city every day and I was starting to understand English. MD: Who was the tour with? GM : The band was a good band with kind of an industrial sound, called Me Not You. The tour was opening for Gary Numan. MD : Did you use triggers with that band? GM : Yes! Triggers and an SPD. MD: What happened after the tour? GM : I started playing with more and more bands and going on more tours. I went on tour to Japan in 2018 with Computer Magic, we did some giant theaters in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. MD : Did these tours snowball and branch off to other projects? GM: Yes. I got recommended to join bands and tour, and it has kept going from there. MD: I wanted to ask you about your time with Concha Buika. You mentioned to me that the audition lasted 7 months. Why did it take so long? GM: It took so long because they were unsure of what kind of drummer they wanted. At one point they stopped answering “As many people know, leaving your comfort zone is not easy. Neither is leaving family and friends. But if you have the will, and if you really believe in yourself, anything can be done.”Modern Drummer June 2022 34 my phone calls, I followed up until I received a response. They told me that they had already found a drummer and thanked me for the audition. I told them thank you, and I sent them a video of me playing the songs. To my surprise, I got a response. They told me that the drummer they chose got pregnant and they needed a drummer as soon as possible. They told me to travel down to Miami on December 28 to start rehearsals and shows. I spent the new year there and it was a crazy, unique, but beautiful experience. We toured throughout various parts of the world playing venues like the Narodowe Forum in Muzyki, SF Jazz Center in San Francisco, LeMaison du Peuple Belfort in France, the Veracruz Cumbre Tajin Festival, and the Grand Théâtre de Geneva in Switzerland. MD : That is very impressive. What did you do next? GM: The tour with Buika lasted a few months, during that time I thought about re-starting my band Top Queens in New York City. MD : How did you go about putting it all together? GM: In the middle of 2019, I formed the Top Queens New York City version. This time I did it with about 80% original compositions. I wanted to take it to the next level, so I started composing. I remember booking a show without even having formed the band. I quickly started to look for musicians. I found the horns, keys, and everything in between. The only original member was Liana Catalano who plays baritone. I found a very famous guitar player online on Instagram. I thought she would be great for Top Queens so I contacted her. I remember thinking “Oh my God, I’m not going to hear back from her because she is famous,” but I never gave up. I asked her to come and play with the band and she told me she was very interested. We met and became very good friends. She’s my best friend now and her name is Sus Vasquez. I didn’t know that she was playing guitar for Karol G at the time. After six months of playing together she told me that Karol was looking for a drummer in New York City and that she recommended me to play for her. As far as Top Queens goes, we are still recording and composing the music for the album, and we are now doing this project together. MD: Why was Karol G looking for a drummer in New York City? GM: She was looking for a drummer to play on Jimmy Fallon. But because the stage was very small in the television studio, it was decided that Karol would do the show without a band and only dancers. I didn’t think I was going to ever play with Karol after that decision. But 2020 began and Rob Trujillo, Karol’s musical director called me to fly to Miami and start rehearsals. We were rehearsing to go to Los Angeles and do a performance for Universal Music Group at the Pre-Grammys. We did two songs and Billie Eilish performed after us, it was truly incredible. MD : Was there any challenges in playing Karol G’s music? GM : Yes, I had never played reggaeton in “When you play with such a big artist you have to play at the highest level. You cannot fail. At this level you only get one opportunity as a band, you don’t get two chances.” Felipe OrviJune 2022 Modern Drummer 35 my life. Karol liked the performance, but I think she could tell that I had never played the genre. She told me afterwards that I played as If I had never played reggaeton. MD : How did you learn the parts for the gig if you didn’t know how to play in that style? GM : I followed the exact instructions from the musical director. He told me to what play, and I played it exactly the same way. MD : What happened after the Grammys? GM : I started to get calls for more gigs. In February, we did a TV show in Argentina and in March the global pandemic began. It seems somewhat redundant to me to say all the feelings that I had in 2020 since we were all in the same situation. We all experienced the same thing: “It was my year,’’ ‘’I had so many shows cancelled,” my situation was very similar. The only difference was that I was not going to play with Karol since she did not have a band at the time. They only called me sporadically for a specific occasion or for some event. That was very hard, I kept hoping for the right situation because she was such a big artist at the time. That musical style (called urban or reggaeton) generally uses a DJ on stage and maybe a guitarist. Getting to have drums or a band was a huge step, but Karol always takes giant steps, that’s her style. MD: What happened with Karol through the pandemic? GM : When they had to stop everything due to the pandemic, Karol and Jessica Giraldo (Karol’s Sister) decided that it was a good opportunity to put together a band. She loved the band from before and that’s when they offered me to be part of the team. We made a video of the band from home, and we participated in the Bud Light Seltzer Sessions. We also played originals on YouTube and other events because she was more stuck than ever, due to the pandemic, it was a difficult time for everyone. MD : How did you integrate yourself into the band when you had no experience playing in the genre? GM: I’d like to tell you, without any pride, about what it was like to start as a female reggaeton drummer and how that process went. What most people say (without knowing) is, “Reggaeton is really easy, the rhythm in all the songs is tu pa, tu pa.” But let me tell you, it’s NOT like that! When I started, the song that I played the most was “Tusa.” This song had arrangements by musical director, Rob Trujillo. I had to learn everything from his instructions because that’s what working with a Musical Director is all about. The song had chops, breaks, hits, breakdowns, supports, along with the guitar, a click, and a programmer who notified me of the cuts. In short, it was a completely different version of the song than the one everyone hears on Spotify. I arrived with a background in rock, funk, soul, and jazz, but the least experience I had was in reggaeton. From there, I had to make a 180-degree turn to get fully involved in the music, style, and level. There were shows where I screwed up badly and when you’re playing in these leagues, that can’t happen. There aren’t many opportunities. Part of the process has frustrated me a lot. I cried for months, was depressed, and have been told that I couldn’t do it. But I never gave up. One day I made the decision to put all my other projects aside so that I could dedicate myself to preparing to play with Karol. I didn’t even know if the gig was going to continue happening. I went online and searched the internet to learn how to play reggaeton but there was nothing because Felipe LaverdeModern Drummer June 2022 36 reggaeton with acoustic drums was not something that was very common. I had a goal, I overcame all my weaknesses and started to learn. I was obsessed. It was all or nothing. I didn’t know where to start. I threw one song at a time into pro tools and tried to match what I was hearing sonically and rhythmically. From there, I contacted some great teachers who have helped me along the way: Cristobal Orozco (Chile), Eli Bonilla (Puerto Rico,) and Santiago Herrera (Argentina.) I even flew to Miami to meet other drummers who were playing reggaeton and see some live shows. Despite all of this, there were still some challenges. I had to play along with the track as tightly as possible. I had to be one with the track, like a machine (I’m still constantly improving that.) I had to sound as close to the loops, on the tracks, as possible. For example, I needed my snare sound to blend with the beat. I had to feel the style. I had to feel the music inside of me so that everything I played had its flavor. I had to have electronic sounds alongside my kit. I had to simulate all the sounds within each song and duplicate the sounds on the tracks. I had to play together with my bandmates as a band. And I had to feel relaxed and enjoy the music without thinking about all of the above. MD: You had to overcome a lot of obstacles to be able to play at this level and style. GM: You have to listen to a live show to realize that the arrangements of the songs make the difference and that “easy is relative.” Having said that, if you judge something based on if it’s easy or difficult; you should instead ask yourself what skills you need to develop and how much practice you need to make it easy for you. I have enjoyed this process like never before. It helped me grow. But the most gratifying thing was that I knew there were people who trusted me. Today, I am very focused on always taking things to the next level, practicing, being better with the drums, analyzing everything in each song, studying, improving my technique, and always giving my best. That’s what makes me happiest. MD: I am curious, do you use drum triggers when playing with Karol G? GM : No. I only use pads. I use a lot of electronic sounds while playing the acoustic kit, so I have pads, but never triggers. I actually got a call from a manufacturer to use a specific piece of gear that triggers electronic sounds and has a touch screen, so I may be using that soon. MD : I noticed that you shared a live performance video of you playing with Karol G on Instagram. The click is audible in the video, and you play quite tightly with it. How did you become comfortable playing with the click? GM : I’ve always had an internal clock and I’ve always been told that I’m good about keeping tempo. When it came to playing with the click it was very difficult for me because I was so used to my own rhythm and time. In the past I used a click, and it wasn’t a problem, but when it came to playing with Karol, I needed to be perfectly in time all the time. In this style of music, it will sound bad if I play off-tempo even slightly. On the other hand, when I play rock or funk with a click I can be slightly off, and it will sound fine. But with reggaeton, which is very electronic and machine-like, if I’m off it will sound very bad. I got obsessed with getting it right. I was so obsessed that I would take one song per day and play it 200 times with a click until it was perfect. I would record it and if one hit was not perfect, I would start it again from the top. MD: Would you listen to the music at a slower tempo to learn it? GM : Yes, when I learn a song, I try to learn the groove first. I start slow and build it up to actual speed. Then, I play the whole song at full tempo. There are also a lot of tempo changes in the songs that present their own challenges. MD : Do you often find yourself playing open handed? GM: Yes a lot! It’s a better way to serve the style. MD : Karol G’s Band is unique because it is made up of entirely women. Was it a challenge to come together with everyone and create that bond and chemistry? GM : I started to play with Sus Vasquez the guitar player in my band Top Queens, we were already friends going into the gig with Karol. The confidence and chemistry between us was there from the start. We are very good friends, and we support each other a lot while playing. Sus and I also do side projects together. MD : You and Sus Vasquez had chemistry from the start? GM : Yes, our chemistry was perfect. MD: That’s amazing, so essentially you met your current bandmates because you formed Top Queens in New York City. When it came time to mesh the band with Karol G was it a challenge or was it a smooth transition? GM : No, it’s a big challenge because Karol is such a huge artist. When you play with such a big artist you have to play at the highest level. You cannot fail. At this level you only get one opportunity as a band, you don’t get two chances. The most important thing when playing with an artist such as Karol G is maintaining the gig. I have to always have the mindset of thinking I lost the gig. MD : That puts a lot of pressure on you and the band to be perfect right? GM: A lot. We always have to be ready. We cannot practice during the tour. We cannot practice during rehearsals, we need to (and have to) show up ready to play. To be successful playing with Karol I need to practice everything beforehand in my personal studio. Then I rehearse what I practiced with the band. When I get to the show it needs to be perfect and I need to be ready. It’s not a band that I have with my friends, where we do what we want, it’s much more serious and we cannot fail. MD: It’s the biggest stage, at the highest level, so everything needs to run perfectly. GM : Yes exactly! MD: In rehearsal, you have to be perfect too, right? I would imagine it’s very intense. “Today, I am very focused on always taking things to the next level, practicing, being better with the drums, analyzing everything in each song, studying, improving my technique, and always giving my best. That's what makes me happiest.”June 2022 Modern Drummer 37 GM : It’s very intense all of the time, especially in the rehearsals. MD: Have you ever made any mistakes while working with Karol G? GM : Yes, once, very badly. I thought I lost the gig when I played the Tiny Desk (Home) concert. When I did that gig, I screwed up so bad. There was a break section in one of the songs and I hit a cymbal and kept playing through the break. It was terrible. The engineer hated me. He had to go in and edit and fix everything. It was a terrible feeling and Karol was sad that the song got messed up. I really thought that was it for me. I thought I had lost everything, but they forgave me. MD: You got a second chance and no more mistakes, right? GM : Yes, no more for me that’s it! I am very lucky and grateful that I still have the gig. MD: I watched the Tiny Desk Concert. It has nearly 10 million views now, but they edited It very well I didn’t notice your mistake. What was going through your head why did you keep playing? GM : They changed the arrangement of the song right before and I forgot. I was very, very, very nervous. I never get nervous anymore. I didn’t even want to charge for that gig. I never sent the invoice for that one because I felt so bad that I messed it up. MD: Coming from that moment, do you feel less nervous and more ready than you did previously? GM : Definitely, yes! I’m ready. I feel very confident. At this stage in my playing, I feel very experienced. My experiences in the past have made me more confident and ready. The confidence helps me be better on stage. When I play the drums, I am someone else. When I’m on the drums I get obsessed. Before the show I need my drums to be perfect and ready to play. MD: Do you have a drum tech at this stage to help you achieve the setup you want? GM: Yes, I have a fantastic drum tech named Leo Giorgi; he is responsible for setting up my drums on stage and ensuring that my kit is perfect. MD : What was your favorite gig from your entire career? GM: The show with Larry Braggs in Argentina was my favorite and best show that I’ve ever experienced. It was crazy because that was a show that I produced at 22 years old. I produced and rehearsed with Larry for one week, and then we played an amazing sold-out show. I’m proud because I did everything for that show. I sold all my possessions, and I did the show. I am very proud of that moment. I got to play music that I wanted to play, with one of my idols, and it was with my own band. I made that show happen. MD : I want to ask you about forming your band Top Queens. You created this project with a huge band with dynamic arrangements both in Argentina and New York City. How did you get into the mindset of directing such a big band and what experience did you have entering this project? GM : When I moved to New York, I started to compose my own music. I started to do arrangements and compositions. I just felt that I needed to compose and write. A lot of ideas come to me, and I want to express them. I love funk. My dad showed me a Felipe OrviNext >