Live Drums + Latin Percussion

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Both. Real drums, great rooms and discrete analog preamps for character; digital for precision editing and fast, flexible delivery. The sound starts at the source.

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: Pro-quality tracks, on time, at a fixed price, and revisions until the part feels right. I treat every song like it's my own record.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Hearing a song come alive the moment the drums and percussion go in, and making a living doing what I've loved since I was a kid.

Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

A: "Can you make it sound like my reference?" Yes. Send it, and I'll match the feel and tones as closely as your song allows. "Do I get separate tracks?" Always: up to 16 individual mic tracks plus a stereo reference mix.

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: That a Latin percussionist only plays Latin music. Most of my work is pop, folk, indie and R&B. The Latin background is what lets me add grooves and colors other drummers wouldn't think of.

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: What's the tempo and is it recorded to a click? Do you have reference songs? Do you want me to create the part or follow a chart or demo? Any sound preferences: vintage, modern, tight, roomy? And what's your deadline?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Listen to the samples with the kind of sound you want in mind, and send references. The clearer the reference, the faster we get there. Also check how the tracks are delivered: clean, edited multitracks save you hours in the mix.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My Tama Starclassic kit, a pair of congas, my Ludwig Black Magic snare, an AKG C414 and a good pair of headphones.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Record the foundation first (drum kit or congas), then layer the smaller percussion on top. And when you stack several percussion instruments, keep each part simple. The groove comes from how they interlock, not from busy fills.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Feel and depth. I lock the groove in first, then add the details that make a track feel alive: a percussion layer, a ghost-note pattern, a texture producers who aren't Latin percussionists usually wouldn't think of. Everything serves the song. Nothing competes with the vocal.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: 14 years as a drummer and percussionist, playing live and in the studio across pop, Latin and folk. I built Drumlab Studio to record at a professional level from home, and have since completed 500+ remote sessions for artists, producers, TV and film, with credits including Jessi Uribe (Grammy nominee) and Los Cumbia Stars (Latin Grammy nominee).

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Tight, dynamic and never busy. I play for the song: a solid pocket first, then color and detail only where it lifts the track.

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Bruno Mars. His records are the perfect mix of tight, vintage-sounding drums and percussion that makes you move, exactly the blend I love building. I'd also love to record with Rubén Blades; salsa percussion is where my rhythm education started.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Pop, singer-songwriter, folk, indie, R&B, pop-rock and Latin (salsa, cumbia, Latin jazz), plus house and Afrobeat grooves that need real percussion.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: Combining great performance with great sound. I play tight to the click with real dynamics, and I also know the engineering side: tuning, mic placement and editing. Clients get tracks that are musical and ready to drop into the mix. Communication and punctuality are non-negotiable for me.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: 1. You send the song (with and without guide drums if you have them), tempo and a reference or two. 2. I reply with ideas for the part and a fixed quote. No surprises later. 3. I tune, mic and record for your song, then edit and time-align everything. 4. You get clean, labeled multitrack WAVs (24-bit) plus a stereo reference mix in 1-3 days. 5. Up to 3 revision rounds until it feels right.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Drumlab Studio, my acoustically treated room in Medellín. Tama Starclassic Birch/Bubinga and Rogers kits, Ludwig Black Magic and vintage Yamaha Steel snares, Zildjian K cymbals, and a wide range of hand percussion. Mics: AKG C414, Lewitt, Shure, SE. Signal chain: CSF discrete preamps into a Focusrite Clarett 8PreX (16 inputs), recorded in Pro Tools. Every kit is tuned and mic'd for the song, not a one-size-fits-all setup.

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Vinnie Colaiuta, Damien Schmitt, Chris Stokes, Tony Succar, Cosito, Diego Camacho, and producers like Juancho Valencia, Diego Torres and Visitante.

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: Live drums and percussion for singer-songwriters and producers in pop, folk, indie, R&B and Latin. Often it's a full drum track; just as often it's the percussion layer (congas, bongos, cajón, shakers, tambourine) that turns a good track into one that breathes. I also get full salsa and Latin percussion sessions and complete productions.