Huapango

The huapango is a lively Mexican dance of Spanish origin that is especially popular in the lands along the Gulf of Mexico. Performed by singers and instrumental ensembles ranging from a duo of guitars to a full mariachi band, it is characterized by a complex rhythmic structure mixing duple and triple meters which reflect the intricate steps of the dance. The huapango is danced by men and women as couples; the men sing, the women do not. Nicolas Slonimsky explained that the word huapango "is derived either from a native vocable meaning ‘on a wooden stand’ (the huapango is danced on a platform), or it may be a contraction of Huaxtecas de Pango. Huaxtecas means a tropical valley, and Pango is the ancient name of the river Panuco."