Camile Velasco (born September 1, 1985) an American singer, was 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, Maui - located in the islands of Hawaii. Prior to American Idol, Velasco was a struggling songwriter/composer who worked as a waitress at her parents' I-Hop Restaurant.

In 2004, Velasco auditioned for American Idol in Honolulu, Hawaii and became part of the second group of semifinalists. Velasco emerged as the top vote-getter in her group and advanced to the top 12 finals.

On the show, Velasco's trademark was a green, red, and yellow Rasta wristband, which she always wore on her left wrist as a good luck charm. According to Velasco, the colors red, yellow and green mean peace, happiness, and unity, respectively. Velasco also wore the wristband as an homage to reggae music and her idol Lauryn Hill.

Vocally, Velasco differentiated herself by adopting a hip hop interpretation to the various pop, soul and country songs chosen each week. Judge Paula Abdul even compared her to New Jersey hip-hop artist Lauryn Hill but on April 7, 2004, Velasco became the fourth person voted off American Idol 3.

Currently, Velasco is signed to one of the biggest names in the music industry: Motown Records. Velasco's debut album, which will feature her own compositions, is expected to be released in the summer of 2005. She has plans of attending a musician's college in April.

External links

• Aloha Camile Fansite
• Camile Fanlisting