Cultural Warrior Jaidyn and the King of the Brooklyn Carnival

Eight-year-old Jaidyn lives in Brooklyn where he embraces his culture, especially after he becomes mesmerized by all he has heard about Carlos Lezama and the history of the Labor Day Carnival.



As he listens to his Gran-Gran tell fascinating stories about Lezama and his lifelong affair with the early steelbands, mas, calypso, and the magic of the Trinidad Carnival, Jaidyn decides he wants to know more. Finally with help from his Gran-Gran, Jaidyn visits a mas camp where costumes are designed and the pan yard where the musicians practice. After he learns how the costumes and steelband music come to life on Eastern Parkway every year, Jaidyn transforms into a cultural warrior who understands that if you can believe it, the mind can achieve it.



In this juvenile novel, an eight-year-old boy is transported on an imaginative journey through the experiences of Carlos Lezama as his Gran-Gran relays captivating tales of the Trinidad Carnival.