Destra Garcia
Encyclopedia
Destra Garcia is a Soca
singer and songwriter based in Trinidad and Tobago
. Destra is noted for her high energy performances, harmonious vocal skill and eccentric fashion
style
in eastern Port of Spain
, and attended Woodbrook government secondary school and St James Secondary School where she discovered her passion for singing and music. She not only won her school's Calypso
Monarch title for five consecutive years, she composed every one of her songs.
Her musical roots came from her grandfather the late Frankie Garcia(Bourg Mulatresse, Santa Cruz) an island jazz musician.Her father Lloyd Garcia is an accomplished guitarist.
She joined a quartet called PSYKE which disbanded after only one year. Following the demise of the group, Destra attended the School of Business and Management earning a diploma in Sales Management.
Destra gave birth to her first child with her longtime boyfriend in 2010...
She pursued a solo career briefly, but eventually joined the band Atlantik
in late 2002. She remains the frontline singer for Atlantik and has forged a successful songwriting partnership with Kernel Roberts (until 2005 inclusive), churning out hits such as "Whe Yuh Want", "Negative Vibes" and "Bonnie & Clyde".
In 2003 Destra released her first album Red, White, Black which included her hit duet "It's Carnival" with fellow Soca artist Machel Montano
. The song became the virtual anthem of Trinidad and Tobago carnival
that year and is widely known throughout the Caribbean and by extension, the world .
title in 2003 at the Labour Day Carnival in Brooklyn
, and also placed second in the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Monarch competition in that same year.
She is yet to win either the Carnival Road March
or Soca Monarch title in Trinidad although she has come close in the Road March race, placing second in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Despite this, she has become successful in the local music industry, specializing in pop-sounding soca compositions as well as fusion music encompassing aspects of East Indian
culture
.
In 2006, Caribbean Beat magazine described Destra's music as "the kind of sound that a young person, living at the crossroads of cultures and technologies that is Trinidad and Tobago today, is likely to produce, and the breeziness of her music may well act as an antidote to the hard edge which often characterises life not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in many other corners of the globe.
Also in 2006, the Digicel
mobile telecommunications group named Destra as its spokesperson in a two-year endorsement deal.
and Soca. This mix is evident in the instruments used in Destra's music, as she frequently utilizes rock guitar
acoustics
with underlying Soca rhythms.
Her 2006 look "soca fabulous" has been created by local designers such as Meiling and Peter Elias. From a new "glam" hairstyle, to her bold, risqué wardrobe, Destra's new look has been described as one which "is going to rock the town and will be a fashion force to reckon with."
Destra is well known for one of the most popular soca anthems "It's Carnival" (featuring Machel Montano)which was released in the 2003 Carnival season. Some of her later popular releases are "Come Beta" (featuring Shurwayne Winchester
),and 2005 singles "Fly" and "We Say So". She also paid tribute to her home town in 2005 with a track entitled "The Hammer Revisited", a duet with Calypso veteran
David Rudder
.
In 2006, Destra contributed her vocals to the song "Aur Chale" in conjunction with the band Dil E Nadan, and released popular songs such as "Max It Up" and "Independent Ladies." She also released a song called "Jumpin'" later that year for her album "Independent Lady" which seemed to have signalled the start for women's shout for independence.
For 2007, Destra has released the following singles thus far; "Las Lap" featuring Naya George, "Soca or Die", "Sign", "Situation" with Multi Symptom, the 'made-for-pan' production, "We Luv Carnival", the most popular song of her 2007 releases, "I Dare You" (The song in which she began utilizing the ever popular dance created by Reggae Superstar Tony Matterhorn
, "Dutty Wine"), all of which now form part of her "Soca Or Die" album released in 2008. Hott (2009) It was released for Barbados Soca.
Destra is of Indian and African descent also known as "Dougla" a term in Trinidad to describe descent.
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
singer and songwriter based in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Destra is noted for her high energy performances, harmonious vocal skill and eccentric fashion
Fashion
Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
style
Childhood and early career
The eldest of four siblings, Destra was raised in the community of Desperlie Crescent, LaventilleLaventille
-Etymology:The name Laventille hearkens back to colonial times, especially when the French dominated the cultural traditions of the island. One etymological derivation of the name is due to the fact that the northeast trade winds come to this part of the Island of Trinidad before it reached any...
in eastern Port of Spain
Port of Spain
Port of Spain, also written as Port-of-Spain, is the capital of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the country's third-largest municipality, after San Fernando and Chaguanas. The city has a municipal population of 49,031 , a metropolitan population of 128,026 and a transient daily population...
, and attended Woodbrook government secondary school and St James Secondary School where she discovered her passion for singing and music. She not only won her school's Calypso
Calypso music
Calypso is a style of Afro-Caribbean music that originated in Trinidad and Tobago from African and European roots. The roots of the genre lay in the arrival of enslaved Africans, who, not being allowed to speak with each other, communicated through song...
Monarch title for five consecutive years, she composed every one of her songs.
Her musical roots came from her grandfather the late Frankie Garcia(Bourg Mulatresse, Santa Cruz) an island jazz musician.Her father Lloyd Garcia is an accomplished guitarist.
She joined a quartet called PSYKE which disbanded after only one year. Following the demise of the group, Destra attended the School of Business and Management earning a diploma in Sales Management.
Destra gave birth to her first child with her longtime boyfriend in 2010...
Music and recording career
In 1999 Roy Cape All-Stars took notice of her single titled - Ah Have A Man Already with Third Bass and invited her to join the Roy Cape All-Stars Band as one of the lead vocalists.She pursued a solo career briefly, but eventually joined the band Atlantik
Atlantik (band)
Atlantik styled with a "k" instead of "c" is a music band based in the country of Trinidad and Tobago. The band which has a music style influenced from ballads, chutney, folk, pop, R&B, reggae, soca, and world beat genres, is one of the more prominent bands in the country of Trinidad and Tobago...
in late 2002. She remains the frontline singer for Atlantik and has forged a successful songwriting partnership with Kernel Roberts (until 2005 inclusive), churning out hits such as "Whe Yuh Want", "Negative Vibes" and "Bonnie & Clyde".
In 2003 Destra released her first album Red, White, Black which included her hit duet "It's Carnival" with fellow Soca artist Machel Montano
Machel Montano
Machel Montano is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in the Trinidad and Tobago....
. The song became the virtual anthem of Trinidad and Tobago carnival
Trinidad and Tobago Carnival
The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is an annual event celebrated on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday.Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago is the most significant event on the islands' cultural and tourism calendar, with numerous cultural events running in the lead up to the street parade on...
that year and is widely known throughout the Caribbean and by extension, the world .
Career highlights
Destra won the Road MarchCarnival Road March
The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during Carnival. The Road March title is among the most prestigious titles in Trinidad Carnival. In Trinidad and Tobago the most Road march titles have gone to the Mighty Sparrow and...
title in 2003 at the Labour Day Carnival in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and also placed second in the Trinidad and Tobago Soca Monarch competition in that same year.
She is yet to win either the Carnival Road March
Carnival Road March
The Carnival Road March is the musical composition played most often at the "judging points" along the parade route during Carnival. The Road March title is among the most prestigious titles in Trinidad Carnival. In Trinidad and Tobago the most Road march titles have gone to the Mighty Sparrow and...
or Soca Monarch title in Trinidad although she has come close in the Road March race, placing second in 2003, 2004 and 2009. Despite this, she has become successful in the local music industry, specializing in pop-sounding soca compositions as well as fusion music encompassing aspects of East Indian
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
.
In 2006, Caribbean Beat magazine described Destra's music as "the kind of sound that a young person, living at the crossroads of cultures and technologies that is Trinidad and Tobago today, is likely to produce, and the breeziness of her music may well act as an antidote to the hard edge which often characterises life not only in Trinidad and Tobago, but in many other corners of the globe.
Also in 2006, the Digicel
Digicel
Digicel is a mobile phone network provider covering parts of Oceania, Central America, and the Caribbean regions. The company is owned by Irishman Denis O'Brien, is incorporated in Bermuda, and based in Jamaica. It provides mobile services in 26 countries and territories throughout the Caribbean...
mobile telecommunications group named Destra as its spokesperson in a two-year endorsement deal.
Image
Destra is famous for her style. Due to her radical clothing choices consisting primarily of revealing clothing such as tight, short pants, and low-cut bra tops, she has captivated audiences during her performances. On stage, Destra is wild and explosive in her movements and vocals, sometimes seemingly performing in her own world due to her passion. Destra has expressed her music and fashion choices as a merger between American punk rockPunk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and Soca. This mix is evident in the instruments used in Destra's music, as she frequently utilizes rock guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
acoustics
Acoustics
Acoustics is the interdisciplinary science that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician while someone working in the field of acoustics...
with underlying Soca rhythms.
Her 2006 look "soca fabulous" has been created by local designers such as Meiling and Peter Elias. From a new "glam" hairstyle, to her bold, risqué wardrobe, Destra's new look has been described as one which "is going to rock the town and will be a fashion force to reckon with."
Albums and notable singles
Destra's released her first CD in 2003, entitled Red, White, Black. Her second CD, Laventille pre-release which featured her Bonnie and Clyde hit song, was released in 2004.Destra is well known for one of the most popular soca anthems "It's Carnival" (featuring Machel Montano)which was released in the 2003 Carnival season. Some of her later popular releases are "Come Beta" (featuring Shurwayne Winchester
Shurwayne Winchester
Shurwayne Winchester is a soca musician from Trinidad and Tobago, who has twice won the Road March title.-Biography:He was born and raised on Tobago. At the age of 12, he entered the competition arena, consistently making yearly contributions that impressed and propelled him to advanced stages...
),and 2005 singles "Fly" and "We Say So". She also paid tribute to her home town in 2005 with a track entitled "The Hammer Revisited", a duet with Calypso veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
David Rudder
David Rudder
David Michael Rudder is a calypsonian from Trinidad.-Career:David Rudder is one of the top calypsonians of all time. In 1977, he joined Charlie's Roots, one of the top bands in Trinidad and Tobago. He spent many years as one of the vocalists with the band...
.
In 2006, Destra contributed her vocals to the song "Aur Chale" in conjunction with the band Dil E Nadan, and released popular songs such as "Max It Up" and "Independent Ladies." She also released a song called "Jumpin'" later that year for her album "Independent Lady" which seemed to have signalled the start for women's shout for independence.
For 2007, Destra has released the following singles thus far; "Las Lap" featuring Naya George, "Soca or Die", "Sign", "Situation" with Multi Symptom, the 'made-for-pan' production, "We Luv Carnival", the most popular song of her 2007 releases, "I Dare You" (The song in which she began utilizing the ever popular dance created by Reggae Superstar Tony Matterhorn
Tony Matterhorn
-Tony Matterhorn Bio:Tony Matterhorn His feisty attitude has kept him at or near the top of the sound system game for many years. Tony Matterhorn has now found new territory as a dancehall deejay with a handful of hits pounding the dancehall both locally and overseas.Dubbed 'Mr...
, "Dutty Wine"), all of which now form part of her "Soca Or Die" album released in 2008. Hott (2009) It was released for Barbados Soca.
Albums
| Released | Album |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Red, White, Black |
| 2004 | Laventille pre-release |
| 2005 | Laventille |
| 2006 | Independentlady |
| 2008 | Soca or Die |
| 2009 | Hott |
| 2011 | Welcome Back |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | Album | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
U.S. R&B Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, is a chart released weekly by Billboard in the United States.The chart, initiated in 1942, is used to track the success of popular music songs in urban, or primarily African American, venues. Dominated over the years at various times by jazz, rhythm and blues, doo-wop, soul,... |
|||
| 2001 | "Tremble It" | - | - | Red, White Black |
| 2003 | Carnival" (featuring Machel Montano Machel Montano Machel Montano is a soca singer, record producer and songwriter based in the Trinidad and Tobago.... ) |
- | - | |
| "Whe Yuh Want" | - | - | ||
| Choo Choo" | - | - | ||
| 2004 | "Bonnie N Clyde" | - | - | Laventille pre-release |
| "In D Air" | - | - | ||
| "Come Beta" (featuring Shurwayne Winchester Shurwayne Winchester Shurwayne Winchester is a soca musician from Trinidad and Tobago, who has twice won the Road March title.-Biography:He was born and raised on Tobago. At the age of 12, he entered the competition arena, consistently making yearly contributions that impressed and propelled him to advanced stages... ) |
- | - | ||
| "Negative Vibe" | - | - | ||
| "The Hammer Revisited" (featuring David Rudder David Rudder David Michael Rudder is a calypsonian from Trinidad.-Career:David Rudder is one of the top calypsonians of all time. In 1977, he joined Charlie's Roots, one of the top bands in Trinidad and Tobago. He spent many years as one of the vocalists with the band... ) |
- | - | ||
| 2005 | "Season's Yours" | - | - | Laventille |
| Fly" | - | - | ||
| "Anyhow Ah Like It" | - | - | ||
| 2006 | "Independent Ladies" | - | - | Independentlady |
| Jumpin" | - | - | ||
| "Max It Up" | - | - | ||
| "Out Ah Time" | - | - | ||
| "Aur Chale" (featuring Dil-E-Nadan) | - | - | ||
| 2007 | I Dare You" | - | - | Soca Or Die |
| Sign" | - | - | ||
| "Soca Or Die" | - | - | ||
| "Las Lap" (featuring Naya George) | - | - | ||
| 2008 | "Free It Up" (featuring Sean Paul Sean Paul Sean Paul Ryan Francis Henriques , who performs under stage name Sean Paul, is a Jamaican pop rap and reggae singer.-1973–1996: Early life:... ) |
- | - | |
| On the Floor" (featuring Mr. Vegas Mr. Vegas Mr. Vegas is a Jamaican dancehall star.-Biography:Smith was born in Kingston in 1974. The moniker "Mr. Vegas" was given to Smith by his schoolyard football-mates, who thought that he kicked the ball like a Las Vegas dancer... ) |
- | - | ||
| High" | - | - | ||
| "Wine It" | - | - | ||
| 2009 | Hott" | - | - | Hott |
| "Obsessive Winers" (featuring Alison Hinds Alison Hinds Alison Hinds is a Bajan female soca artist based in the Caribbean island of Barbados. She is one of the most popular soca singers in the world and has been given the nickname the "Queen of Soca".-Biography:... and Denise Belfon Denise Belfon Denise "Saucy Wow" Belfon is a Soca, Contemporary R&B, and Gospel singer, songwriter, and dancer.-Early years:... ) |
- | - | ||
| Bacchanal" | - | - | ||
| "Sassiness" | - | - | ||
| 2010 | Fireworks" | - | - | Welcome Back |
| "Surrender" | - | - | ||
| "Rewind" | - | - | ||
| 2011 | "Feel Like Wukkin" | - | - | |
| "Proppa" | - | - | ||
| Welcome Back" | - | - | ||
| "Cool It Down" | - | - | ||
| "Mad Party" (featuring Skinny Fabulous) | - | - | ||
| "Middle Ah D Road" (featuring Swappi) | - | - | ||
| "Feel To Wine" (featuring Super Jigga TC) | - | - | ||
| "We Own It" | - | - |
Trivia
- Destra's song, "Bonnie and Clyde", was featured as the track for the Parrot Bay alcohol commercial.
External links
- Destra's Official Website
- Destra's Official Twitter Page
- Destra's Official Myspace page
- Destra's Official Facebook Fanpage
- Destra's Official Youtube Channel
- Destra's Official iLike Page
- Destra's Official Imeem Page
- Destra's official ReverbNation Page
Destra is of Indian and African descent also known as "Dougla" a term in Trinidad to describe descent.