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I will admit that Ramielle Malubay was the reason that I watched this year's top twelve and since she got voted off on April 2nd, I vowed not to watch the show anymore this season. But as I watched my local news I heard something strange. Joe Moore, a news anchor here in Hawaii, said something about a reaction to something about Hawaii on American Idol (I don't remember what was said exactly, but it was along those lines). So I got curious and settled in to watch the show.

American Idol has become a part of my household since the finale of the very first season. Being born and raised in Hawaii I never thought that anyone from Hawaii or anything that represents Hawaii would ever be on the show. I was proved wrong once back in season three when they held auditions here, showing both the beauty and the talent that Hawaii has to offer. Then later in that season two Hawaii locals got selected to be in the top twelve, placing tenth (Camille Velasco), and third (Jasmine Trias) respectively.

Now, four seasons later we had a polynesian dancing reference from recently voted off Ramielle Malubay and a song in the top eight, done by Jason Castro, with great meaning to the state of Hawaii, Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole's "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World Medley."

It is a beautiful song done by one of Hawaii's favorite sons. Isreal Kamakawiwo'ole was a man who made great music that not only entertained but brought inspiration to the entire state of Hawaii. The "Somewhere Over the Rainbow/What a Wonderful World Medley" was first brought to national attention in the movie "Meet Joe Black" in 1998, "Finding Forrester" in 2000, and "50 First Dates" in 2004. Also on television in the closing scene of the series finale of "Life On Mars," and then at the closing of the 100th episode of "Scrubs" The Worthless Peons did a version of the song. Not to mention the endless national and Hawaii commercials that used some part of the song.

I have to be honest with you, when Jason started strumming the ukulele and I almost immediately hated it. Not because the playing of the ukulele was horrible, or the singing was bad, but because I was jealous. I was jealous with pride. The one thing that went on in my mind was that he was ruining the song that Isreal made. All negative thoughts. I went as far as to tell my father, who just walked in the door from the grocery store, that this guy was murdering Iz's song and that he was going to get out. Then he was done.

Now the judges, Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell. I was thinking that they were going to rip him apart. They loved it. And surprise, surprise, I disagreed, at first.

With the power of DVR I pushed the rewind button and hit play at the part where Jason explained why he picked the song. "WOW," was what I was thinking after I heard the reason again, that was a good reason to pick the song. But I was still convinced that judges were wrong, and then again, the strumming of the ukulele and the singing.

After watching the performance for the second time and putting my pride, and my jealous feelings aside I thought that Jason did a great job. The ukulele playing was not that of Isreal. The singing was not that of Isreal. But Jason did a great job and he made the song his own. Doing that song the way he did made me and probably all of Hawaii proud not because of the great reviews it got from the judges, or the cheers of the fans, but because it would have made Braddah Iz proud. It would have made him smile. And it would have been a great honor to him to have one of his songs done on American Idol.

Learn more about this author, Anthony Riel.
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