Still Hawai'i's idol

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By Zenaida Serrano
Advertiser Staff Writer

Jasmine Trias glowed with happiness last night as she left "American Idol" in the next-to-last round. Photo courtesy KHON

Trias, Seacrest announced, had gathered the least amount of votes after Tuesday's performance and was eliminated. No tears. No boos. No gasps of surprise.

Instead, she blew kisses and smiled with dancing eyes as the audience, including her family, stood and applauded the 17-year-old from Mililani once dubbed the "Maryknoll Mystery Girl."

She's a mystery no more.

Trias displayed many looks during her time on "Idol," but last night her goodbye bore one of happiness and relief. And peace.

She couldn't contain her smile as she hugged Fantasia Barrino and Diana DeGarmo and uttered "love, love, love, love" as the three embraced. Barrino and DeGarmo will go head to head in a two-hour season finale next week.

"I am so ecstatic about making it this far. It's just incredible," Trias said. "... I could not ask for more. It's been such an honor to share the aloha spirit with the rest of the nation."

Trias' farewell song, which she'll perform again next week with the rest of the finalists, was "Inseparable," which she had sung before and Simon Cowell had labeled "superb."

It also seems to be the perfect way to describe the 'ohana-like relationship between Trias and Hawai'i.

After Camille Velasco of Maui was eliminated April 7, Hawai'i's idol support grew each week despite harsh critiques from Cowell and the other judges. Trias was voted off last night despite a whopping 5.9 million voting attempts from Hawai'i Tuesday night, with 1.6 million votes getting through, according to Verizon Hawai'i.

The adoration reached a pitch when she visited home last week and was greeted by hundreds of fans at the airport and thousands at a Waikiki appearance.

"Jasmine knows Hawai'i loves her," said Rudy Trias Jr., her father, who has been with her in Hollywood since the beginning of the competition. "When we went back, she didn't think it was going to be that big. It was kind of a surprise. Crazy, crazy (support)."

Last night, Trias and her home-state followers seemed inseparable in accepting it was a good time for her to exit. Critics had questioned the validity of the voting process after La Toya London was eliminated last week. And some Hawai'i fans feared that if Trias advanced further, she could be deemed the next John Stevens, the red-headed crooner who survived into the final six but ripped by judges and viewers alike.

In the end, Trias' "Idol" journey seemed to play out perfectly.

"It was a great run," her father said. "She was happy — relieved, I guess. She was ready if she had to go. She had already made the top five, which was one of her goals. So I think she felt she made it.

"If she could tell Hawai'i anything, it would be thanks for the support. We're very proud of how Hawai'i supported her 200 percent. It was amazing."

Trias will remain in Hollywood for next week's season finale. Velasco will fly from Maui on Friday to join the other finalists for the last night, then fly to Charlotte, N.C., with five other finalists to sing the national anthem at the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR race.

Both will start preparing for the "American Idol" three-month tour in July.

Inseparable.

Reach Zenaida Serrano at zserrano@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8174.