AMERICAN SAMOA - TENELLE

State: American Samoa

Hometown: Carson, CA

Resident: Carson, CA

Song title: "Full Circle"

Tenelle Luafalemana has been described by many as "a breath of fresh air." Tenelle isn’t exactly sure when her love for singing first started, but suggests that growing up with a big family, where talent shows are more competitive than The X-Factor itself, may have well done it. Tenelle describes her home of Samoa as magical and recalls listening to artists such as Lauryn Hill, Fiji, Whitney Houston, Betty Wright and Aswad as a child. Tenelle is now a Grammy Award-nominated and Billboard-charted artist. She’s honored to represent American Samoa, her family and the entirety of her people. Her music video "Shine" was shot on her grandmother's property, where her grandmother lives and where her ancestors are buried. She’s honored to share their story.