Marquez - Danzon No. 2

A modern Mexican classic inspired by a Cuban dance.

This work by the prominent Mexican composer Arturo Márquez is one of the most popular and frequently performed Mexican contemporary classical orchestral pieces.

It was commissioned by the National Autonomous University of Mexico and was first performed in 1994 by the university's Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The Danzón dance form originated in Cuba but is a very important part of the folklore of the Mexican state of Veracruz. Márquez got his inspiration while visiting a ballroom in Veracruz.

The piece formed the basis of a short film made in 2009. Set in Mexico City in the 1940s. The film features Márquez himself in a cameo as the pianist of a dance-hall.