 But in Veracruz, there was another element. During the colonial era, the city of Veracruz was the port of entry for everything coming into Mexico, including the slave trade. As a result, the region has historically been home to a large number of people of African ancestry. So Son Jarocho is, in a way, the sound of the racial and cultural mixing that was taking place in Veracruz. The incorporation of the wooden dance floor where people do the zapateado. People tend to believe that it comes from the African traditions.