COURTESY OF KHON2
Judges advised novice performer Camile Velasco to start having fun.COURTESY OF KHON2
Maryknoll's Jasmine Trias keeps racking up the accolades from judges and the public.
Hawaii’s idols can breathe easy
’til Tuesday after making it
through another round
of competitions
Last night, Hawaii breathed a collective sigh of relief. The Aloha State's "American Idol" representatives -- Camile Velasco and Jasmine Trias -- survived the latest cut in the nationally televised singing contest.
Each week, leading up to the show's May 25 finale, the contestant earning the fewest votes from the American viewing public is dropped from the competition. As predicted by judge Simon Cowell during Tuesday evening's broadcast, Leah LaBelle of Seattle, Wash., was ousted following an uneven performance.
For several tense minutes, producers kept Hawaii "AI" fans in suspense by announcing that either Velasco or Jennifer Hudson of Chicago, would join LaBelle and Amy Adams of Bakersfield, Calif., in the bottom three. It was Hudson who received the second least votes.
Accolades were in abundance for Trias, the celebrated Maryknoll songbird, during Tuesday's episode of "American Idol." Her rendition of "Inseparable" again drew praise from all three judges. Even Cowell, the most unforgiving of the evaluators called her act "superb."
"She's very technical, this girl. She's a perfectionist," revealed a contented William Daquioag, Trias' longtime vocal instructor yesterday. "She wants to make everything right, so she works and works and works to get it down to where she wants it to be.
"She started kind of shaky in the beginning, but she pulled it off at the end. I really think she did a good job."
Although the judges may not have been as forthcoming in their praise of Velasco Tuesday evening, their overall tone with the Maui girl was more motivational than dismissive.
Said Randy Jackson of Velasco's version of Dusty Springfield's "Son of A Preacher Man": "I think there's 'wow' in you, but I didn't hear it tonight."
"You're not having enough fun. It's all about having fun now," counseled Paula Abdul. "America already loves you."
Cowell concurred, comparing Velasco with fellow contestant LaToya London. "The difference between you and LaToya is all about self-belief. She has it, you don't," he remarked.
For Velasco's stepfather, James West, the panel's comments were both encouraging and constructive, and last night's results demonstrated that her uniqueness and aptitude are being recognized.
"The producers and judges see Camile's potential and what they're trying to urge her to do is break out and cut loose," noted West, via cell phone from Los Angeles last night. "One of the things that I don't think people are aware of is that (Tuesday) was only the eighth time Camile has ever performed for a live audience and I think she did great."
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