Jason Castro's Somewhere Over the Rainbow on American Idol Brings Smiles

American Idol is down to 8 finalists. Time to see what makes the contestants tick and why they want to become an idol. In other words: what inspires them? Jason Castro chose 'Somewhere over the Rainbow', but anybody who expected the rather old-fashioned Judy Garland version was in for a surprise, as he sang the far lesser known version by Hawaiian artist Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.

While listening to Jason introducing his song and explaining his choice, I already started smiling. All through this competition, Jason has been one of the purest performers, not in it for the fame and glory, but only because his love for music and his desire to make the world just a little bit better, even if it's just for the duration of one song. Well, maybe that's a bit too much, but it's what I'd like to believe. And after listening to Jason talk, I actually do believe it.

Whenever Jason starts singing, something magic happens. The crowd gets silent and just want to enjoy his performance. His choice looked a bit weird at first, but to anybody who's ever heard of Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, it made a lot of sense. The purity of his songs, the simplicity but sheer beauty, it's basically what Jason stands for. Which he showed again by a sober yet truly inspiring performance.

Changing his guitar for a ukulele didn't affect him one bit. Although maybe not as powerful as an instrument, it gave the song just that extra bit it needed to make it work. It was clear Jason had no problem to persuade anybody that this song inspired him. Every note and expression were so pure it was immediately obvious that this song has a special meaning to Castro. Although seemingly easy and simple, he still managed to get the message through to the crowd and the jury, who even seemed moved by it themselves.

Jason for me is the real gem in this contest. He's pure, has a great voice and above all has a great passion for music which he wants to share with his audience. Week after week he continues to grow. Not only in his performances but also mentally he seems to have matured a whole lot since the beginning of this season of AI. He has already won over the jury and the hearts of many voters, and his fan-base keeps growing and growing. Hopefully they'll keep him in the competition until the end, as I'm sure he still has a few surprises for us. And maybe, just maybe, he will be the one to take it all the way. It would put a smile on the world's face for at least a second.