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Marlon Aldana
About Me
Marlon Aldana is a drummer, percussionist, DJ, and educator originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, now
based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Though no one in his family was a musician, he grew up in a
household rich with cultural and musical influences, and began playing drums at age eleven through
private lessons and self-taught exploration. While earning a degree in Architecture from the
Universidad de Guadalajara, Aldana remained deeply involved in the local music scene. In 2012, he
moved to the United States to continue developing his musical career.
Known for his versatility and rhythmic fluency, Aldana performs across a wide range of styles,
including Afro-Cuban, Salsa, Timba, Jazz, Flamenco, Funk, Cumbia, Rock, Pop, Reggae, and Afro-
Mexican rhythms such as Son Jarocho. In 2017, he was awarded a full scholarship to study at the
California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, CA. He is also an active member of the Recording Academy
(GRAMMYs) San Francisco Chapter.
Aldana has collaborated with a wide range of award-winning and renowned artists, including Javier
Cabanillas, Antonio Rey, John Santos, BZ Lewis, Alex Conde, Jeff Chambers, and has made multiple
appearances with the Oakland Symphony under conductor Omid Zoufonoun. His flamenco
collaborations include work with dancers, singers, and guitarists from Spain, such as Yaelisa and
Fanny Ara.
In addition to his work as a performer, Aldana is an experienced educator, offering private and group
drumming lessons, and working closely with the San Francisco Symphony’s Adventures in Music
(AIM) program to bring rhythm and music education to students across the SFUSD.
Since 2018, he has also been a member of the Golden Bell Music Collective, where he performs,
directs, and oversees logistics for live/DJ hybrid shows at high-end events across the U.S. and abroad.
His international collaborations now extend into the Middle East—particularly Turkey—through his
personal and musical connection to the region via his Turkish wife. There, he works with musicians
and docents from the State Conservatory on a variety of cross-cultural projects.
Aldana also operates his own recording studio, Majestic 13, offering both local and remote drum
tracking with up to 20 channels, serving artists across the U.S., Mexico, and Turkey. He is currently
working on original compositions and collaborative recordings.
Follow him on Instagram @aldana.music, where he actively shares new material, or visit
www.marlonaldana.com for more information.
