Online Encyclopedia
Camile Velasco
Camile Velasco (born September 1, 1985) is an American singer, one of the finalists on the third season of the reality/talent-search television series American Idol.
Born in the Philippines, Velasco later became a resident of Haiku, Hawaii on the island of Maui. She began performing at age 16. Prior to American Idol, she worked as a pancake waitress.
In 2004, Velasco auditioned for American Idol in Honolulu, Hawaii and was part of the second group of semifinalists. She was one of three semifinalists from Hawaii, including Jasmine Trias and Jonah Moananu. She was the top vote-getter in her group and became one of the twelve finalists.
Vocally, Velasco differentiated herself by adopting a hip hop interpretation to the various pop, soul and country songs chosen each week. Judge Paula Abdul compared her to New Jersey hip hop artist, Lauryn Hill.
However, during the finals, Velasco received lukewarm reviews from the judges. On April 7, 2004, Velasco became the fourth of the 12 finalists to be voted off the show.
Velasco's trademark was the green, red, and yellow wristband, called the Rasta wristband, that she wore on her left wrist. Red meaning Peace, Yellow meaning Happiness, and Green meaning Unity. Many of her fans today wear that wristband to show their support and love for Camile.