Cinco de Mayo

"El Jarabe Tapatío," known as the Mexican Hat Dance in English, has an interesting history. Appropriately enough for the purposes of Cinco de Mayo, the piece was composed by Jesús González Rubio in the 19th century, making it a contemporary of the stalwart defenders at the Battle of Puebla. In 1924, the Mexican government declared it to be the national dance of Mexico, which means that every time Mexican culture is referenced in a TV commercial, football stadium, or buddy cop film, you'll hear this familiar melody: