She began her professional career in her teen years as a performer and recording artist, and worked with many musicians in a variety of musical genres.

She has written several texts and articles about the history of Latin and Caribbean music, including Salsa Guidebook.

Since her early twenties, she has performed and recorded with celebrities in the Latin and jazz music scenes, including Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, Cachao, the conguero Carlos "Patato" Valdes, Armando Peraza, Giovanni Hidalgo, Joe Henderson, Sheila E, Steve Winwood, Michael Nesmith and others, and as one of very few female band-leaders in Afro-Caribbean jazz.

As a producer, Mauleón has been involved in a wide array of music-related projects, from film and television documentaries to music software companies and instructional DVDs.

As musical director of Mickey Hart's Planet Drum ensemble, Mauleón has performed throughout the U.S., appearing at Woodstock in 1999 as well as on the Conan O'Brien and Regis and Kathy Lee shows.