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The term huapango is a word of Aztec origin that can have several meanings . It can refer to the sones found in the Huasteca region and in southern Veracruz, to a gathering of musicians who play these sones, and most recently to a song form which borrows elements from the sones of Mexico's Atlantic coast. This song form is distinguished by its use of prolonged falsetto notes (called falsete in Spanish) and by a strumming pattern on the guitar that mimics the beat of a drum.* This sustained falsetto so characteristic of the huapango derives from and is actually an exaggerated stylization of the short falsetto style used in the son huasteco. Professional Mexican vocalists tend to favor the huapango as an ideal medium to highlight their vocal range.

Themes for huapangos are as varied as those of song forms throughout the world: love, death, nature. Unlike the the sones on which it is based the huapango is not linked to any particular region of Mexico nor to any specific ensemble. Huapangos are sung to the accompaniment of a single guitar or a full mariachi orchestra. Guitar trios, quartets, jarocho ensembles, and mariachi groups all include the huapango as part of their standard repertoire.

*It is interesting to note that the Aztec word for guitar was mecahuehuetl, which means, "a drum with strings."

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