00:00The iconic artist, singer and songwriter Destra Garcia says after 26 years in the soca industry,
00:08the time felt right to reveal the deeper side of who she truly is.
00:13Speaking on the TV6 Morning Edition, she shares that many people never knew her musical journey began in church,
00:21where her father served as a reverend and she was a church girl long before stardom.
00:26For years, she kept that spiritual foundation private, a quiet secret behind the energy fans love.
00:34But now, she says, she's ready to share her faith openly as part of her story and her purpose.
00:41You know, sometimes in Lent, for some people, but this is what happens to me.
00:46When I strip off all the makeup and the costume and the persona of Carnival,
00:51and I go back to roots and basics of what I was or who I truly am, my father is
00:57a reverend, and I grew up in church.
00:59So I would be singing in church before my soca career ever took off.
01:02I was always a church girl, a choir girl, you know, and coming back to that every year after Carnival
01:09in secret,
01:10because that's what it was, in secret, because a lot of people did not know that there was a depth
01:15to me
01:15and my talent that everybody loved so much was rooted in faith and prayer.
01:21Garcia opens up about the challenges behind the spotlight,
01:24admitting that even with her strong stage presence, she is vulnerable at times.
01:30She tells us her 2026 Carnival hit, Free Again, reflects her journey
01:35and is a personal testament to her growth, feelings, and where she is in life today.
01:41Guys, now you see my heart, you see myself, this is who I am,
01:46and I know some of you all may not like it because you're thinking that,
01:49okay, Dashera was going to be a gospel artist, hallelujah,
01:52and some people are saying, oh gosh, we're going to lose Dashera in soca.
01:55I'm just an artist, and at the end of the day,
01:59who says you can't love your culture and love God at the same time?
02:02You know, and we battle with that as humans, we battle with that in the church,
02:06we battle with that in the carnival.
02:08Looking forward, Dashera says, there is much more to come.
02:12She wants fans to remember that no one is perfect,
02:15and we all need time to pause, reflect, and grow.
02:20This year, I want people to see the transition.
02:22I want people to see the transition of Dashera
02:25from being a carnival being to being a spiritual being.
02:29So it's a walk and it's a journey,
02:30and when people leave this concert, they're going to completely understand who I am.
02:35Dashera says her journey continues,
02:37evolving both spiritually and professionally, she says.
02:41She made her mark in sukkah,
02:43and now it's time to do the same with her faith.
02:46For her, she says,
02:48these two paths must be walked simultaneously
02:51until they become one.
02:54Nicole M. Romany, TV6 News.
02:57We'll be back in advance.
02:57Thanks.ar
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