Hawaii’s Pride Iam Tongi Rocks the Stage at Homecoming Concert Before American Idol Finale

Thousands of fans gathered at Turtle Bay Resort on Tuesday to welcome home Iam Tongi, the Hawaii-born singer who made it to the Top 3 of American Idol Season 21. The 18-year-old Kahuku native performed a special concert for his supporters, who cheered him on with signs, lei and aloha. Tongi, who is of Tongan, Samoan and Irish descent, moved to Washington State three years ago with his family after they were “priced out of paradise.” He dedicated his audition song “Monsters” by James Blunt to his father, Rodney, who died just a couple of months before the performance. He also sang “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen in honor of his dad during the Top 5 show. Tongi said he was grateful for the opportunity to return to his home state and share his music with his fans. “I feel good. I feel blessed. I feel loved,” he said. “This is where I grew up. This is where I learned how to sing. This is where I learned how to be me.” Tongi also shared the stage with some of Hawaii’s music icons, including Paul