Jessica Sanchez gives hometown performance

Washington, May 15 (IANS/EFE) Jessica Sanchez, one of the three finalists of "American Idol", gave a performance for hundreds of fans in her US hometown of Chula Vista before the grand finale.

Escorted by police, the 16-year-old Sanchez took part in a parade with marching bands and then performed before 6,000 people in the East Lake High School football stadium.

During her brief concert, videos of which will be used in the grand finale of this season's "American Idol", Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox read a proclamation establishing May 12 as "Jessica Sanchez Day".

The Sanchez family went onstage to present a bouquet of flowers to their teen, who said that "this is the best day of my life".

"It makes us proud that a local represents us with so much talent and so much modesty and that she acts so maturely even though she's only 16," Mayra Llavord, a neighbour of the Sanchez family who came to the event, told EFE.

The singer arrived Friday in San Diego together with her mother, Editha, from Los Angeles where "American Idol" is filmed, in a helicopter that landed at the Petco Park baseball stadium.

Jessica is the daughter of Editha, a Filipino, and Gilbert Sanchez, a Mexican-American serving in the US Navy.

--IANS/EFE

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