Iam Tongi

For Iam Tongi, music is about transformation – and it always has been. A Hawaiian-born singer-songwriter and the Season 21 champion of American Idol, Tongi first picked up a ukulele in the fifth grade, immersed in a deeply musical world filled with the traditional singing and dance of Pacific Island cultures. Tongi learned to sing from his father, who in turned had learned from his father before him. By 13 Tongi had played his first show, but after moving to Seattle a few years later – and losing his father in 2021 – he nearly gave music up completely. His mother secretly signed him up for American Idol, and after Tongi’s viral audition performance of James Blunt’s “Monsters” became one of American Idol’s all time emotional highlights, he went on to win Season 21, making history as the first Pacific Islander to ever win the show. His new music marks a creative transition leaning into his cultural heritage and musical roots – but also the man he’s become.

You may also like the following events from The Waldo Theatre:

• This Thursday, 7th August, 05:00 pm, Annual Fundraiser : Backstage Pass at The Waldo in Waldoboro
• Next Thursday, 14th August, 07:30 pm, John R Miller X Tommy Prine in Waldoboro
• This month, 21st August, 07:00 pm, Search for General Tso: Maine Art Film Series #2 in Waldoboro

Also check out other Music events in Waldoboro.