Around The Islands
Feature Profile
Camile Velasco:
Better Days
She talks with ease, she laughs with ease, and she belts out lovely songs with ease...She finds it amazing to this day, what life had in store for her. She was waiting tables when she took the dive...and her life has not been the same since.
Set Me Free Yeah Yeah…
Stirring up courage to audition for the American Idol set Camile Velasco free from waiting on tables at their family-owned IHOP restaurant on Maui. At the time, she was just 17. These days, Camile Velasco has been living in Los Angeles, producing albums, working with favorite groups such as Pras and The Fugees, and rollerblading everywhere around Hollywood Boulevard. "I live in L.A., taking care of myself, paying rent by doing what I love: making music. And I'm just able to be artistic, which is what I like to do as a profession, so it's great!…On a normal day in L.A., I just wake up, write (songs), eat and exercise…working on an album…playing the piano…I rollerblade everywhere — that's fun," she laughs.
Will We Find Another Way
Camile reminisces, "Before American Idol, I was waiting on tables; I was out of school and just cruising. I wasn't ever in any talent shows in my whole life. I wasn't in any choir or anything. It wasn't really encouraged for me when I was younger. Basically before American Idol, I was on stage about two times….I'd left high school when I was a junior, I'd gotten my GED (General Education Diploma) at the end of my junior year, 16 years old. And I didn't know what I was going to do with myself… "
Because I try To See
Camile begins to describe how it all happened. "My friend, he has his own small home studio, a lot of equipment, and just toward the end of my junior year, I started spending a lot of time in the studio. I found myself wanting to be there more than school. I missed too may days of school; I had to leave school; and I didn't know what I was going to do with myself. Then, when I wrote my first song in his studio, played it down, gave me a copy, played it back to myself, it was like: 'Wow, I wanna make music for the rest of my life, that's what I wanna do!' and that's when I decided to become a singer, for the first time in my life. I told my mom, 'Hey mom, I wanna tell you something…I wanna be a singer!' That was about 2 years before American Idol."
I'm Looking Straight Ahead For Better Days
One day, Camile was talking on the phone with her my cousin. Her cousin encouraged her to audition for American Idol, saying, " Dude, you should just do it." And Camile thought, "Yeah, you're right..." So she hopped on a flight that day and flew to Oahu, heading straight for the Aloha Stadium. Camile found herself at the very end of the line.
That one bold step pushed Camile out into the world, before millions of viewers in more than a dozen countries. She remained as one of the four American Idol finalists until she was voted off. What did she think of the critics? With a shrug, Camile responds, "Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and there's nothing I can do about it. It's cool, it's what helps — also, you can use that to make yourself stronger, which is a good situation. You can take any negative situation and turn it into a positive one. You can't let it bother you… especially in this business, where we're so heavily looked upon. You can't let it eat you away, 'cause it'll get to you. Sometimes it does hurt, but you just have to persevere." Confidence and professionalism.
Why Should I try My Best
Was Camile ever nervous throughout the whole American Idol show? "Definitely nervous! On the show, I was known as the more nervous type. Before the show, I'd literally been on stage like two times, you know. But after the show, we all went on tour: 54 cities around the U.S. That was when I really found myself, really understood the element of life and being on stage, and that's when I fell most in love with performance…finally found my confidence and found myself. I really loved doing it. And there was no more fear. So the tour was what really made me strong."
I Know I Tried My Best
Camile continues with a sparkle in her deep, brown eyes, "After the first show, I said, 'This is what I love.' And after that, it was like, you just go out there, and you just do what you love. You just take off from there. It was the time of my life! We (the top 10 who participated in American Idol) went on a 3-month, 54-city tour. There was never a day that I wanted to go home! I just had a BLAST the whole time! We just went to a lot of different cities, but I would say Hawaii was definitely one of the best shows throughout the whole tour. My favorite city in the tour was…I'd have to say southeast Miami — it was so AWESOME! We went there during the summer time. It was b~eautiful. The weather was great, the city was fun, it was GREAT!"
Memories Of You and Me
One of the reasons why Camile enjoyed the tour so much was because she found the members all "really motivated each other." She bubbles with joy, "It was cool because we got to be in a group of people who all understood each other — who all loved to perform — we understood that. It's not everyday you get to be around a big number of people who understand the same thing. We all gave artistic insight into each other, and being on stage with each other, interacting, was just magical in itself….I LOVE it! If I can be on tour for the next 10 years, I'll do it!"
Cause It's Too Hard To Try To Make It Right
Camile says, "It's cool 'cause on tour, I just realized a way of life that I shall forever abide by: to love life. That's the best advice I can ever give to anybody. To love and live life. You know, that's just how I go by everyday — it keeps me smiling, and it keeps me sane. A lot of people kind of get caught up with the thoughts of others, gossip and what not. Another piece of good advice I apply to myself is to just know yourself. You're born alone, and you die alone…and at the end of the day, you own up to yourself — and all you have is yourself, basically. If you don't know yourself, you don't love yourself, then you really don't have much at all, so I say: know yourself and love yourself.
When The Only Thing To Do Is Just
Does Camile watch what she eats? She laughs, "You know, not really…No, I should, but when it comes down to the show days, I just stay away from dairy; I don't drink any cold beverages; I always drink water; I don't drink any soda…I stopped drinking soda about 2 years ago. All I drink is water….When I got accepted to American Idol, I don't know, I just stopped drinking soda. And just by quitting something like that is really beneficial to your health — water is good! Sure, you have to discipline yourself many a time. Dairy is one thing you stay away from, especially when it comes to show days. Getting a lot of vocal rest is also very important, and off course, practicing. Interviews and stuff like that — it comes with the territory — big whirlwind. Rest is the best thing you can have for yourself, for your vocals and for your physical self."
You Just Keep Me Hangin On
Even now, after her singing career has taken off, Camile still has dreams. "I'd like to go to school and study literature, 'cause I like to write. If I can't do music on stage, then definitely (want to be) behind the scenes. I'd like to take some classes. There's a school in Hollywood about recording programs, learning how to produce and stuff…. I don't take voice lessons, but I would love to….I'd like to learn how to play the piano a lot better and brush up on that, just sharpen my musical skills. Sure, I'd love to get a degree. If I can't be a singer, I'd love to be a teacher. I'd like to spread knowledge to people, that's an awesome thing to do..."
Get Out Of My Life Why Don't You, Babe
What are Camile's dislikes? "We have spiders in L.A., and I HATE them!" She takes a moment to ponder before continuing, "Pretty much anything negative… anything that brings me down. I like to be positive all the time and like to have a good time. When I write autographs, I tell everybody, "LOVE LIFE." That's my motto. I don't really watch much TV, but I listen to music ALL day long. I have to have my iPod with me everywhere I go. I just like to listen to music all times of the day. The more you listen to it, you just get so much better."
My Baby
Every time Camile comes home to Hawaii, she finds herself in a whirlwind of activities. Where does she see herself settling down? "Definitely in Maui, definitely somewhere in Hawaii…Definitely want to come back to Hawaii and retire, and raise my kids. I feel very fortunate to have been raised with the Aloha spirit, with this culture. I definitely want to raise my kids with the same. Hawaii is always going to be my home. My family, my brothers and sisters, and my mother and father — they live in Maui — so I'll always have a home in Hawaii….You know, Hawaii is like the #1 supporter, so I'm very honored to be able to represent where I think is the best place on earth — it's my home, Hawaii. For now, L.A. is where I need to be. L.A. seems to be the meeting spot between me and everyone else. I'm ready to go wherever I need to go. If I need to go to New York, I'll go there. I'm ready."
Cause I Can't Hide The Pain…
With all her style, wisdom, and gifted talent, Camile has had her red-hot most embarrassing moments. Here's one of 'em: "I was singing kind of a faster song, you know, when I started performing before American Idol…then I ran out of breath on stage! I was like: eeeeuuuuuiiighhh. That was probably my most embarrassing moment. You can laugh at yourself…it was pretty funny. I try to perfect everything, but I'm not too hardcore, you know, on myself. I'm a very free spirit….It's amazing, I just feel so blessed, and so grateful, to be able to do what I love. Love yourself, and love life — that's it!"
*Note: Subheadings from Camile Velasco's debut single, "Hangin On" lyrics
