Under the Radar: James Emmanuel
The latest single from Edinburgh-based singer James Emmanuel is a magnificent slice of soul, write Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon
Hailing from Benin in Nigeria and now calling Scotland’s capital city home, James Emmanuel is a highly promising artist, newly-signed to Decca UK.
He first discovered his love for singing in Nigeria, where his father, a preacher, suggested he should join the church gospel choir. At 16, after his father passed away, Emmanuel took on the responsibility of supporting his mother, eventually moving to the UK where he started out working as a cleaner in London.
A subsequent move to Edinburgh saw him become a regular attraction busking on the Royal Mile and the resident singer in the city’s legendary Jazz Bar. Next, he used his savings from various part-time jobs and maxed-out a credit card in order to fund his first release and supercharge his music career.
His latest single, the magnificent, soulful, Brothers and Sisters, inspired by his daughter, was recently released via Decca. He’s clocked up over 50,000 streams on Spotify alone and enjoyed airplay on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Introducing in Scotland. Catch him live this summer at the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival and the Wilderness Festival, see https://www.instagram.com/jamesemmanuelofficial/
Olaf Furniss and Derick Mackinnon run music industry seminar and social night Born To Be Wide, see www.borntobewide.co.uk
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