00:00Hi.
00:00Hello.
00:01Hello.
00:02How are you?
00:03I'm good.
00:03I'm good.
00:04How are you guys?
00:04Very well.
00:05So tell us who you are, where you're from.
00:07My name is Iam Tongi, and I'm from Kahuku, Hawaii.
00:11Iam Tongi.
00:12Tongi.
00:12You pronounce the T's like a D in the Tongian culture.
00:16So tell us about your journey.
00:18How did you get here?
00:19Well, I grew up in Kahuku, which is on Oahu.
00:24And I recently, like, well, not recently,
00:26three years ago, I moved to Seattle.
00:28No, it's not the same, but it's still all right.
00:30It's definitely different weather.
00:34Why on earth would you leave Hawaii?
00:37Priced out of paradise, that's what it is.
00:40Priced out of paradise, and you ought to move to a cheaper state.
00:43We're fixing to get you priced back in Hawaii.
00:46Yeah.
00:46You're going to go back in?
00:47Any chance, move back.
00:48I think you should buy an island.
00:49Is your family there, or where's your family?
00:51Most of my mom's siblings, she has 12 siblings.
00:54I have family in Hawaii, but my mom, we all live in Seattle.
00:57And your dad?
00:59My dad passed away, like, a couple of months ago.
01:03Mm, sorry, buddy.
01:05So who got you into music?
01:08My dad.
01:09Ah, he's the reason for all this, huh?
01:12Yeah.
01:13What's his name?
01:14Rodney.
01:15Rodney.
01:16Rodney, yeah.
01:18I could tell, I could tell it meant a lot to you.
01:20Yeah.
01:21Sorry, buddy.
01:22I got it, man.
01:24What are you going to do for us?
01:25Um, a song.
01:29Sorry.
01:30Take your time.
01:30Take your time.
01:31It's OK, man.
01:32You know, when you love so deeply, you feel so deeply.
01:35Yeah.
01:36And so what you're just giving us right now is the fact
01:38you love that man so much.
01:40OK, we're there with you.
01:42Um, the song we've seen is a song.
01:45It's called Monsters by James Blunt.
01:47Monsters, OK.
01:48Yeah, it's a song I'm dedicating to my dad.
01:52All right.
01:53You want to take a moment?
01:54You all right?
01:55Yeah.
01:56I'm good.
01:57I'm good.
01:58I'm good.
01:59You got to relax a little.
02:13Oh, before they turn off all the lights,
02:20I won't read you your wrongs or your rights.
02:24Time is gone.
02:29Oh, I'll tell you goodnight, close the door.
02:34Oh, I'll tell you I love you once more.
02:39Time is gone.
02:41So here it is.
02:43I'm not your son.
02:46You're not my father.
02:48We're just two grown men saying goodbye.
02:54No need to forgive.
02:56No need to forgive.
02:59I know your mistakes and you know mine.
03:04While you're sleeping, I try to make you proud.
03:09So, Daddy, won't you just close your eyes?
03:12Don't be afraid.
03:15Don't be afraid.
03:15It's my turn to chase the monsters away.
03:19Sleep a lifetime.
03:25Yes, and breathe my last word.
03:29You can feel my hand on your own.
03:38Because I'm not your son.
03:40You're not my father.
03:43You're not my father.
03:43We're just two grown men saying goodbye.
03:48No need to forgive.
03:51No need to forgive.
03:52I know your mistakes and you know mine.
03:59While you're sleeping, I try to make you proud.
04:03So, Daddy, won't you just close your eyes?
04:06Don't be afraid.
04:10It's my turn to chase the monsters
04:15That's all right, man. That's all right, man. I
04:24Was not worried about
04:27Whether you were gonna make it through the song. I was worried about whether we were gonna make it through
04:32the song
04:33Your dad is very proud. Thank you so much. I mean what a
04:36fantastic song to pick
04:39I feel like you could have written this song. Thank you. I mean you sang it you delivered it and
04:47you're making these grown men cry
04:49You hit a nerve. Thank you. And that's what great
04:53Storytellers do. That's what great artists do and your voice is just so magnificent
04:59Thank you. I cannot handle your heart breaking about your dad. Yeah, you know
05:05my my nephew lost his dad and he came and lived with me and
05:09just seeing you
05:11missing your dad just sucks and
05:15Gosh, man, you just got a great voice if you got a great voice
05:19You just did everything perfect and I love you and I want to
05:24Just want to see you have fun in this whole thing man, and thank you
05:28It's just
05:30It's just awesome awesome what you just did. I mean, you're 18 years old
05:35Yeah, let me just tell you something the story is one thing
05:40Your delivery of your story was phenomenal. Thank you
05:45Luke what's your vote? Obviously, I'm a yes
05:47All right, Luke. I'm a yes. Thank you
05:51This one's for Rodney
05:53Yeah, yeah, thank you so much. Thank you so much. It's a yes for me and
06:00Young man, you take this into the world and you're gonna fracture some souls
06:05Thank you. Thank you so much the greatest thing we can say to you at this moment
06:12You're going to Hollywood man
06:15Okay, thank you. Thank you. Oh, I got to give him a hug. I know I know man. That was
06:20awesome, buddy
06:21Thank you. Thank you, man. Great job
06:23Thank you, man. Great job.
06:24For all my life, my dad told me that singing is the only thing that was meant for me
06:32The main reason why they're music is because my dad
06:35That's how me and my dad bonded, but ever since he passed away, you know, it's been hard
06:41This was for Rodney. Yeah, yeah, oh my dad
06:55People thought I cried, you know, because I miss him, but it's because I hear him singing
06:59I can hear his harmony. I can hear like how he would harmonize with me in that song
07:06He always wanted me to come to America and I see so I'm trying to make him proud of me
07:13I know I know he's with me through my music. He'll always be with me. I love you dad
07:25You
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