"It's Malaya. It means 'free'" 16-year-old Filipino-American Malaya Watson told the judges of American Idol during the announcement of the Top 13 to teach them the right pronunciation of her tagalog name.

Southfield, Michigan native Malaya is born of an African American Father and a Filipina mother named Marian Bandico. She’s a tuba player.

Watch her journey to the show’s Top 13 here: