Unaware that I was a journalist, James Bhemgee poured his heart out to me when he performed at the SA's Got Talent semi-final last week.
"I knew I was going to go through to the finals. I have been singing for a long time and I so knew the people that know my work were going to put me through to the finals," said a confident Bhemgee.
I thought he was simply being arrogant, a side the judges did not see because he had a humble stage persona.
When he won, and we had a one-on-one interview, it then occurred to me that the man was not full of himself but instead he was sure of himself.
"I knew that the people that have seen me for all the years that I was singing were going to come out in numbers and support me.
"I have done so many favours for many and so they remember me. Numerous times I would be called to do performances at charities and in turn this increased my popularity," said the man with a new bank balance of R250 000.
Bhemgee comes from a humble background. At one point he was a street sweeper. A woman passing by heard him singing and offered to sponsor his vocal lessons. Thereafter, he became a member of the Cape Town outfit Cape Flats Tenors.
"I knew Cape Town was going to be behind me. I got a call the other day from PE and somebody told me that there, too, I had a huge following. In Johannesburg, I got to see the response and then I knew I was going to win."
Even after watching the finals from backstage?
"Yes, everyone was really good but I knew I could still get the top prize," he said.
From sweeping the streets to singing in the Cape Flats and now having South Africa's vote of confidence, Bhemgee is now a man in demand.
"Through this show, I am looking at negotiating a contract with Sony-BMG and recording an album," |he added.
What would you do with a quarter of a million rand? Buy that SUV? Or maybe fly around the world? While that sounds great, Bhemgee will keep it simple.
"I am going to buy me a home. |I have never had a house my whole life. My mother never had a house, too, so it is important for me to have a place of my own.
"As I speak, my six kids are staying all over with their mothers," he said sadly.
Most people would move to the entertainment capital of Joburg to explore more options but the |opera singer wants to stay in the Mother City.
"If someone gave me a home or something, I think I would consider moving, but otherwise I will stay in Cape Town."
Watch this space because the same streets that James Bhemgee used to sweep will soon be flooded with people dancing to his music.