El Rayo

A son (Spanish for "sound") is a fast-paced, lively song style that often uses complex rhythms. Son jarocho is a regional folk style from Veracruz, and son jalisciense originated in Jalisco and is the foundation of modern mariachi music. The rhythms of this son jalisciense alternate from the traditional back-and-forth 3/4 to a 6/8 feel, and it also incorporates the contratiempo technique. In English, contratiempo means "counter time." This strumming technique involves using downstrokes on the upbeats of the rhythm, which is usually an eighth-note pattern. The emphasis is placed on the upbeats, resulting in a unique feel when the accents are played as written.