Huapango

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trio at the Alfredo Guati Rojo National Watercolor Museum in Mexico City

is a family of Mexican music styles. The word likely derives from the Nahuatl word that literally means 'on top of the wood', alluding to a wooden platform on which dancers perform dance steps. It is interpreted in different forms, the most common being the classic interpreted by a trio of musicians (); the interpreted by a group (); and the , which can be performed by a large group of musicians.

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The classical brings together a violin, a and a . The classical is characterized by a complex rhythmic structure mixing duple and triple metres which reflect the intricate steps of the dance. When the players sing (in a duet, in a falsetto tone), the violin stops, and the (the rhythm provided by heels hitting the floor) softens. The is danced by men and women as couples. A very popular is , in which two singers alternate pert and funny repartées.

Huapango arribeño or son arribeño is a style of music played in the "zona media" region (part of San Luis Potosi, Queretaro and Guanajuato). Traditionally it is played using four instruments (jarana huasteca, huapanguera and two violins). The lyrics are mostly improvised and sung in the style of décimas, or versed poems. Guillermo Velázquez is a popular musician of the style.

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Fringed leather jackets called and outfit for dancing to huapangos and sones from Tamaulipas displayed at the Museo de Arte Popular in Mexico City

The is a fast dance piece in Template:Music. This dance style and rhythm was included in early . It is performed by (northern groups). The instrumentation of this type of ensemble consists of accordion, , double bass, drums and saxophone.

The in has alternating rhythmic patterns similar to the . Both major and minor keys are used. One of the distinctive characteristics is the use of a falsetto by the vocalist. Another characteristic is the use of busy violin passages for the musical introductions and interludes. Famous songs include "Rogaciano el huapanguero", "" and "".

by Moncayo

The is a 1941 classical piece composed by José Pablo Moncayo, using as inspiration several Veracruz huapangos and the huapango rhythm.

See also

• Folk dance of Mexico