From singing while mopping floors to performing to thousands

Available for over a year

Nigerian James Emmanuel could be a bit naughty as a boy. To keep him out of trouble his father, a preacher, enrolled him in the local church choir. He quickly impressed the choir leader who told him he had talent. But James' secret passion was listening to songs his father considered 'devil music', such as Marvin Gaye's Sexual Healing. When he was 16 his father died and things got tough financially for the family. James dropped out of university and went to work in the UK in order to help support his siblings and allow them to finish their studies. He settled in Edinburgh, where he worked in a bar cleaning floors, singing while he mopped. A customer who overheard him told him about a local karaoke night where James soon became a regular. Just a few years later, he'd be performing at the Royal Albert Hall in London in front of thousands as part of the BBC Proms, alongside soul music legends such as Beverley Knight. Presenter: Mobeen Azhar Producer: Emily Naylor Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707 (Photo: James performing on stage in front of a large crowd outside. He has a microphone in his hand and is leaning back with an arm raised while singing. Credit: Diana Dumi)