For those who don't know, 2009 was Faye-Ann Lyons' big year. Pregnant for the entire Carnival season, this "matriarch" of The Godfather Asylum (the band she shares with hubby Ian 'Bunji Garlin' Alvarez), emerged victorious in the International Power Soca Monarch AND International Groovy Soca Monarch competitions AND also took home the coveted Road March title. Throughout the season, her performances all came with a disclaimer "I'm pregnant ... not sick," as she gave a high-energy command of the stage.

Trinbagonians being who they are, of course when Destra publicly announced her pregnancy earlier this month, the comparisons began faster than Usain Bolt on his way to breaking another record. "Hmph. She trying to do a Faye-Ann"; "Watch and see she win everything this year too"; "This was the only way her boyfriend coulda get her to wear more clothes on stage!"

For the record, I love Destra Garcia's music. From lyrics that stir up a frenzy in my brain and reflect my Carnival experience to a vocal range that's rare in the soca industry, the woman has skills (humility, not so much, but lots of talent).

In contrast, I've never been a huge Faye-Ann fan. Both years that she won Road March I felt that Destra was robbed (first in 2003 when 'Display' won over the GINORMOUS and eternal 'It's Carnival' and then in 2009 when 'Bacchanal' succumbed to 'Meet Super Blue'). Don't get me wrong, I usually LIKE her songs, but they never manage to whip me into the frenzy that results in me losing myself completely in the music. And yet, I RESPECT this woman when she hits the stage because of the fact that she can captivate an audience without resorting to the typical wine and grind associated with women in soca.

As her belly bump burgeoned, so did my respect for Faye-Ann this year. She proved, at least to me, that it wass possible to be pregnant and still perform your ass off on a stage. I remember cringing in fear when the feteing started, because my cousin and I were TERRIFIED that the passion with which she would charge up and down the stage would induce labour. It soon became clear, however, that she knew her limits - as baby girl developed, so did mummy's performance, focusing more on crowd involvement and less and less on physical exertion. But even when the charge became a chip, she never stopped moving.

When Destra performed at Digicel's Free Concert in Adam Smith Square on Friday August 21st, however, I found myself cringing in fear once again ... and I never found a reason to stop. When the 'obsessive winer' took the stage, she immediately began asking the crowd who had come to fete and who had come to 'maco' her belly. She then began a frenetic routine apparently designed to reassure the crowd that they should not expect a low-energy performance just because she is preggers. While I appreciate her passion for her trade, I do believe that she needs to find alternative moves that will display her energy levels but reduce the amount of belly-bouncing that this last performance displayed.

Her dutty wines and stage charges need not be quite so frantic. And when jumping her feet really don't need to get that far off of the ground! There were several times when her movements were so enthusiastic that there was a perceptible bouncing of her belly. The amazing thing is that when she took down the level a notch and connected with the audience through her voice, the performance became a lot more enjoyable and seemed less like she had something to prove.

I fully agree with the medical view that pregnant women need to remain active throughout their pregnancy. And as a confessed Carnival addict, I respect the need to perform for your humongeous fan base ... and dissenters. Question is, where's the safety net in this balancing act?