Kavelle Anglin-Christie, Staff Reporter
Destra performs at Chukka Cove last month. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
DESTRA GARCIA has become a household name in the Caribbean, and she knows it.
"I believe it is a household name in the Caribbean and in soca it is really a powerful female entertainer. Destra has a strong voice with melodic, catchy music and is the definition of a role model to a lot of young women," she said.
So what is this flavour that Destra has that makes her fans love her music so? "It's a mixture of a whole lot of different things. Destra shouldn't be stereotyped. Most soca is mixed with something else whether it's East Indian, partyish, jump and wave, whatever, Destra does it all," she said.
NO NEW SONGS
She doesn't have any new songs out at the moment because she is preparing for her 2007 album, which will be her fourth. "It is called Independent Lady, which is the title track ... right now I'm just putting the new material together. It is all about the international appeal. When you look at the international artistes like Usher and those guys, they try come out with an album every year ... so if soca wants to go international, then the artistes need to start acting and being like that," Destra said.
Sunday Gleaner: What's the best carnival that you've been to?
Destra: I might sound biased, but I would have to say the Trinidad Carnival because I get to interact with the people a lot more. The other carnivals I only get to be with them for a day or two, but in Trinidad, I am usually here for the entire thing, so I tend to enjoy Trinidad carnival a lot more.
SG: So where are you off to next?
Destra: Tobago Jazz Festival. I am sorry that I couldn't be there for Jamaica Carnival, because Jamaica is one of the places that has the most vibes in the world. But after the Tobago Jazz Festival, I'm heading to St. Martin on Monday and Cayman on the weekend.
SG: Okay, that's very hectic. When do you find time to get a life? No offence.
Destra: I don't. This is my life. If you want to be successful at whatever you're doing, you have to throw yourself into it, whether you are a doctor or whatever, then you can cruise. But right now I am not at the stage that I want to be, so I have to push and keep pushing to get where I want to be.
And exactly where is Miss Garcia pushing to get to, you may ask? She says, "I want to duplicate or triplicate my success. Right now I don't think I can go much further in soca as far as climbing the ladder is concerned. In soca right now there are so many good people, so you can't really say that someone is better than the other.
"But in the next four to five years I want to be seen on the international market the way I am seen in the Caribbean, as one of the top three soca artistes coming out of the Caribbean. So that's what I mean when I say triplicate my success. I want to close a different market, like from Australia to London. I should not only be a household name in the Caribbean," Destra said.
