Garcia has subsequently admitted that her absence was in fact intentional, having chosen to focus not on Soca, but rather, gospel music.
For years, Destra Garcia’s name, like that of so many other prominent entertainers in the carnival landscape, has gone hand in hand with the season of revelry. From songs like, ‘Bacchanal’ to ‘Bonnie and Clyde,’ ‘It’s Carnival’, ‘Tremble It,’ ‘Lucy’ and countless others, this fiercely talented female entertainer has never sat out a season, until this year. “When I performed for carnival 2024, I did my 16th soca album, and I told myself then, I was not going to do another soca album until I completed my gospel album,” Garcia said in a Guardian newspaper interview with Kristy Ramnarine. This was exactly what she did. In the aftermath of the Carnival 2025 season, Destra has thanked fans and supporters of her music, for their support. “Good morning my loves. Thank you for your patience and for your overwhelming support on this project that I took some time away to focus on and complete,” she wrote on social media on Monday morning.
Destra says many did not believe she would finally zone in and complete the gospel album she had been promising to, over the past decade. The new 12-track gospel alum is called, ‘Reflections’ and will be released soon. In tandem, the mother of one who has been a part of the carnival industry for many years, will host a concert in the same name on April 12th at Queen’s Hall in Port-of-Spain. “The event will be a showcase of the songs on the album as well as some other favorites in the gospel genre,” she told the Guardian.
Destra clarified that while some may think she is now a gospel artiste, she is not. She explained that on each of her albums released between 2003 through 2011, a gospel track was included.
The story of Destra’s life is embodied in this part of her journey as she highlights having grown up in a Christian home, her father being an ordained Reverend. She also admits to the challenges faced in her continued attempts throughout the past decade, to get the album done. The artiste said it was the passing of the legendary, Roy Cape, that propelled her finally buckle down and do it. “It reminded me of morality. Roy has done so much for the culture, so much for humanity. I didn’t want my legacy to just be Destra, the soca artiste who sings songs like ‘It’s Carnival,’ ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ and all these classics that people love. But what am I doing for God, you know? What am I doing for this relationship with the Almighty?” she questioned.
Fans of the entertainer can now expect to hear and see more of their QOB as she prepares to release ‘Reflections’ and more than likely, return to her platforms with content and music to entice all.
