FALLS VILLAGE — Leaders of Our Culture Is Beautiful (OCIB) — Effie and Angaza Mwando and Shawn Matel — led students from the Lee H. Kellogg School on a lively tour of Black history Thursday, Feb. 26, at the David M. Hunt Library.
Effie Mwando said she and her husband Angaza started the organization, which is based in Torrington, about five years ago. Matel, meanwhile, is a long-time OCIB volunteer.
The group brought a wide range of materials — dolls, books, posters, percussion instruments — and kept the presentation lively, handing out prizes and taking questions.
Angaza Mwando gave a quick lesson on the djembe drum, which he said is made of wood with a goat skin drum head.
He showed the students how to get three distinct sounds.
First was a “bass,” a low-pitched sound created by striking the center of the drum head with the hand.
A “tone,” a sharper, higher-pitched sound made by striking the edge of the drum head.
And the “slap,” which is just what it sounds like.
The presentation also highlighted many prominent Black figures, including James Brown, James Baldwin, LeBron James, Rosa Parks, Katherine Johnson and Maya Angelou.
