Genre-bending high-schooler from Hawaii makes ‘American Idol’ history

Iam Tongi, a high-schooler whose guitar broke midway through the season, became the first Hawaiian and Pacific Islander to win “American Idol,” putting a national spotlight on island culture and sparking a wave of local celebration. “Hawaii is a very close-knit community, and so when we see somebody trying to succeed, a lot of us are all cheering from the privacy of our living rooms, just making as much noise as possible,” said Roman De Peralta, frontman and songwriter for the local Hawaii band Kolohe Kai, whose music Tongi performed...