"I feel more powerful": Young stilt walkers preparing for West Indian American Day Carnival appearances
NEW YORK -- West Indian American Day Carnival events return live to Brooklyn starting this weekend, and you won't want to miss one group of young people who bring new meaning to the phrase "holding their heads high."
Before they make two big appearances, CBS2's Dave Carlin met with stilt walkers, or moko jumbies, as they rehearsed in Crown Heights.
Seven-year-old Rajon Vessep was among those practicing for a pair of West Indian American Day Carnival appearances with Jason Edwards, executive director of Kaisokah Moko Jumbies USA.
"I grew up around it in Trinidad and Tobago, so from a kid I just seen the older guys in the neighborhood walking around doing moko jumbie," he said. "It's not about just walking around on stilts and going out there and doing whatever, but you've got to be role models."
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"My son was always in a shell until he started doing this," said Rajon's mom, Eshe Parker.
Rajon's sister, 13-year-old Ashai, is also a stilt walker.
"I feel more powerful. Like, I feel more brave," she said.
Nineteen-year-old Nyles Adams started walking on silts with Kaisokah when he was 11 years old.
"We bring happiness. We bring just the life of the party," he said.
"We want moko jumbies to be at the Grammys. We want moko jumbies to be at the Oscars," Edwards said.
The group climbing higher and higher, straight to the top.
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To participate with Kaisokah, the young people must maintain good grades -- As and Bs.
You can check out their performance at a kids event on Saturday and again during the big Labor Day festivities.
For a schedule of Carnival events, click here.
