Iam Tongi, who was born and raised in Kahuku on the North Shore of Oahu, will carry out as one of many Prime 3 on American Idol’s Season 21 finale on Sunday.
The 18-year-old singer is of Tongan, Samoan and Irish descent and he is a senior at Decatur Excessive Faculty in Washington State, the place his household moved three years in the past. When American Idol decide Lionel Richie requested Tongi why he left Hawaii, he stated his household was “priced out of paradise.”
On the premiere episode of American Idol on Feb. 19, Tongi made all three judges cry after dedicating his tune “Monsters” by James Blunt to his father, Rodney, who died simply a few months earlier than the efficiency.
After making it into the highest three on Could 14, Tongi headed to Hawaii and sang at a particular live performance on Tuesday at Turtle Bay, with 1000’s gathering to listen to the performer.
Tongi follows within the footsteps of a number of different Hawaii musicians who’ve appeared on American Idol, together with Paula Fuga, who unsuccessfully auditioned for the present in 2003, Jason Segundo, who was a Prime 32 semi-finalist in 2003, Camile Velasco (identified by her stage identify as Eli-Mac), who got here in ninth place on the present in 2004, and Jasmine Trias, who got here in third place in 2004.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Electronic mail her at michelle.brodervandyke@constitution.com.
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