A Hawai’ian academic has called on Tongans to vote for Iam Tongi in the next round of American Idol.
Professor Tēvita O. Ka’ili has also supported a special show for Tongi scheduled for next week as part of the Tongan community’s support for the young singer’s performance in the American Idol final.
Although he is from Hawai’i, Tongi’s mother Lillie comes from Tonga. Her father ‘Uluamu came from Tatakamotonga and other ancestors come from Ha’ateiho.
Tongi, 18, was born and raised on the island of Oahu. He currently lives in Seattle.
His father Rodney, died a few months before his audition for the American talent show. Tongi credits his father for getting him into music.
He says he can hear his father singing.
He is now in the Top 5 of American Idol.
He recently sang at Disney’s Aulani Resort and Spa in Ko Olina, and received praise from judges Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, and Luke Bryan.
“I always dreamed about performing on a big stage in front of a lot of people,” Tongi said.
“This means a lot.”
An American entertainment gossip sites claims Tongi, who is still at high school, has more than 200,000 followers on Instagram and 336,000 followers on TikTok. His videos have racked up more than 1.2 million likes.
He had previously auditioned for American Idol, but did not progress any further.
