‘De Player’

Destra Garcia was born in November of 1977 in Trinidad and Tobago, and hails from a musical family. “When I am up there performing I feel the music as I move and I know it’s great to be a woman. I revel in my sensuality. I want women to look at me and say ‘Way to go,  Destra,’ because I am representing them and I look good doing so.”  Destra has been singing since she was in St. James Secondary School. “I sang every year for five years at school and won the Calypso Monarch on every occasion. I also wrote all my calypsoes.”

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Songwriter Mark Loquan celebrates many years of writing music compositions for the steelband music panorama competition. 

And 2012 represents five of those years since the Destra/Philmore/Loquan team has been creating music for Panorama.  Since 2008 the team has brought to life songs like “Hooked” (2008), “D Trini Way” (2009), “Surrender” (2010), “Rewind” (2010) and “Calling Meh” (2011). Prior to 2008, Destra/Loquan had produced “Colours Again” (COTT Pan Song of the Year 2006) and “We Luv Carnival.” The Philmore/Loquan combination had also worked on songs like “Dangerous” (sung by Anslem Douglas/Colin Lucas) and “Time to Breakaway” (sung by Kerwyn Trotman). Several of the songs have been performed for Panorama in Trinidad & Tobago and at other Panorama competitions including Nottinghill, New York, Toronto, and Cayman Islands.

For 2012, the team presents two songs for Panorama, Vibes and De Player, both produced by Junior “Ibo” Joseph.

About De Player:

The music for this song was approached a bit differently, with most of the song created spontaneously between Philmore and Loquan at the studio while doing the music bed. They were looking for a simple melody with a sing along effect for a party feel. With her lyrics, Destra has put her own spin on a familiar topic of someone playing the field while in a relationship, but the ‘player’ is getting some sound warnings. It may touch a nerve within the Trini psyche.

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Ken “Professor” Philmore has been arranging music for Panorama since 1982. He has had many successes to date, viz 6 first places with Sonatas of New York, 2 with Sound Specialists of Laventille and numerous second places. His closest to victory in the large band category of T&T Panorama was back in 1990 with Fonclaire and “Pan By Storm” when the band placed second to Renegades’ “Iron Man.”   In addition to arranging, to date he has done several panorama compositions, the latter 5 years being in collaboration with Mark Loquan and Destra.

Ken continues to spread the culture worldwide, as an ambassador for Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument, performing at several international jazz festivals and events worldwide. He recently visited and performed in South Africa and Nigeria for their respective Carnivals in 2011.

Ken’s aim is to have the youths embrace the artform. He dares to include hip hop, rap, reggae, funk and anything he believes would attract the youths, without losing the sweetness that would appeal to the pan connoisseurs. Hence his arrangements may be considered “non-traditional” or “outside of the box,” while exuding his rich musical soulful style and “down to earth” personality.