Hip-hop has been accused over the years, and most recently by Geraldo Rivera, of being a hindrance to the culture.

In Latin America, due to the efforts of a group of Guatemalan musicians, it can now be described as a way to preserve a culture, according to the Associated Press.

A group called Balam Ajpu, which means Jaguar Warrior or Warrior of Light, is set on keeping a pre-Columbian language alive by telling their stories through modern rap.

Attempting to make the ancient stories relevant to kids, the group employs the ancient Mayan Tz'utujil language in their songs.

Their first album, which will be released to align with the March 20 spring equinox, is called "Tribute to the 20 Nawuales" or "Tribute to the 20 spirits."

Choosing to rap in both Tz'utujil and Spanish, the band fused their hip-hop beats to nature sounds such as bird songs and running water.

Rene Dionisio, a member of Balam Ajpu who uses the stage name Tz'utu Baktun Kan, said, "Since the time of the (Spanish) invasion, the (Mayan) worldview was persecuted, even almost snuffed out, but now it's returning to life, relying on music and sustaining itself in art."

According to the AP, Dionisio said, "Our commitment as artists is to rescue the ancient art."

The songs in their upcoming album cover the region where the Mayan civilization hit its apex around A.D. 250-950, paying tribute to the 22 provinces of Guatemala as well as Mexico's Chiapas and the Yucatan.

The lyrics, which come directly from a Mayan priest named Venancio Morales, are ceremonial in nature and are meant to teach young people to live in harmony with others and in sync with nature by returning to the principles of the Mayan calendar.

Dionisio said, "This is our cultural registry of the past for future generations."

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