HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) - HCC students were able to join El Centro for the "Hasta 'Bajo: Reggaetón, Historia y Cultura Puertorriqueña," workshop, which explores Reggaetón music and its history. The Hasta 'Bajo project safeguards, educates, and exposes reggaetón to enhance its importance and value in contemporary Puerto Rican culture, and creates a conversation space for the community to make connections. "I think music is one of the best ways that we can connect with each other and hear, and that's the best way that we connect with our students," said Alexandra Santiago Bigas. "Sometimes when people listen to reggaetón they point out that it has a lot of swearing or misogynistic tones to it and I think that it's important to understand the history where it comes from and its origins to be able to listen to it consciously." Reggaetón's roots are in Black identity and the African diaspora. It features a blend of many styles, including dancehall, reggae, hip-hop, salsa, and bomba. El Centro hopes that this workshop allows students to hear beyond the beat and develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for reggaetón music. This workshop exposes reggaetón to enhance its importance and value in contemporary Puerto Rican culture. It also allows students to make connections between the musical genre and the sociohistorical context it carries. "It's a beautiful way to connect Latin Heritage culture that we're trying to experience with our students and learn something which is also what you want to do right you wanna always be learning about things that are outside of your sphere," said Julissa Colon, Director of El Centro at HCC. Local News Headlines Commonwealth Care Alliance Day of Service September heat follows record-breaking warm August FBI warns Sec. of the Commonwealth about “suspicious packages” Dry weather may dull fall foliage across the region WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on WWLP.com.