Moko (singer)

Diane Nadia Adu-Gyamfi (born 1991),[1][2] better known by her stage name Moko, is a Ghanaian-British soul singer. She rose to fame after featuring on the Chase & Status single "Count on Me". Moko has released two EPs, Black (2013) and Gold (2014), on MTA and Virgin EMI.

Moko
Birth nameDiane Nadia Adu-Gyamfi
Born1991 (age 28–29)
New Cross, London, England
OriginGhana
GenresSoul, trip hop, dance
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter
Years active2013–present
LabelsMTA, Virgin EMI
Associated actsChase & Status
Websitewww.mokomokomoko.com

Early life and education

Moko was born and raised in New Cross, London. Her mother is of Ghanaian descent and her grandmother is Chinese.[2] She began singing in her local church choir as a child.[3] She enrolled on a music scheme at Goldsmiths, University of London when she was 15 years old, and later returned to the university to study English literature, practising in the institution's music facilities in her spare time.[4][2]

Moko has spoken about her experiences with the neurological condition chromesthesia, in which sounds invoke images of colour: "I always had to listen to each song with my eyes shut, because then I could feel technicolour circles and holograms inside of my eyelids. After a while, I’d associate certain colours with sounds. It’s always been a part of me, so sharing it with the world is really nice."[3]

Music career

During her studies at Goldsmiths, Moko began recording music with two of her fellow students, a production duo called the Impostors.[5] She debuted the song "Summon the Strength" online in February 2013, followed by "Hand on Heart" in May 2013.[6][7] The same month, Moko performed with Rocket Number Nine and Neneh Cherry on the internet channel Boiler Room TV.[8] She subsequently headlined the BBC Introducing stage at that year's Glastonbury Festival.[9]

Dance producers Chase & Status featured Moko on two tracks on their album Brand New Machine (released in October 2013): "Count on Me" and "Like That". The former track was released as a single in September 2013 and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.[3] Moko signed to the duo's own label, MTA Records (part of Virgin EMI Records), and in October 2013 she released her debut EP, Black (produced in its entirety by the Impostors), and a video for its track "Freeze".[10][11][3] During October and November 2013, she supported Chase & Status on their Brand New Machine UK arena tour.[12]

In 2014, Moko collaborated with singer-producer MNEK on the track "Judgement Day", which is scheduled for release as a single from his upcoming debut album.[13][14] Moko released her second EP, Gold, in August 2014, preceded by the single "Your Love".[15] Gold features production from Chase & Status, Kwes, and Two Inch Punch.[16] She was working on a full-length album by early 2015.[9]

Artistry

Moko has cited 1990s music as an influence on her own output, including artists such as Massive Attack, Shara Nelson, Portishead, Sade, Soul II Soul, Candi Staton, and TLC.[3][17] During her childhood, she was exposed to Afrobeat and Ghanaian folk music as well as Fleetwood Mac and Aretha Franklin.[3] She describes her musical style as "alternative electronic soul".[3] As a performer, Moko takes inspiration from Asian, rhythm and blues, and West African dance traditions.[3]

DIY has called Moko a "trip hop revivalist",[11] with NME describing her as "southeast London's answer to Massive Attack".[18] The Independent named Moko one of "dance's new leading ladies" in 2014 and compared her success to that of Ella Eyre and Becky Hill.[1]

Discography

Extended plays
  • Black (2013)
  • Gold (2014)
Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK UK Dance BEL
 DEN
 IRE
 SCO
"Count on Me"
(Chase and Status featuring Moko)		 2013 5136–497 Brand New Machine
"Like That"
(Chase and Status featuring Moko)		 –––––—
"Hurts"
(Kove featuring Moko)		 2015 –––––— TBA
gollark: That's just the time dimension, though.
gollark: Real-world time? But that makes chess 3D.
gollark: Semiunrelatedly, is the game actually 5D? I only found 4 dimensions (time, 2D boards, 1D for parallel timelines).
gollark: Explain? That sounds like it would be bad.
gollark: People will get bored of actually taking protective actions long before that, and many probably already have.

References
  1. Paul Lester (19 September 2014). "Dance's new leading ladies fight back: How female vocalists are now writing their own hits". The Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. Mistry, Anupa (25 December 2013). "Rookie » Moko: Freeze". Rookiemag.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 27 December 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  6. Scarano, Ross. "Pigeons & Planes: The Best in New Music Discovery and Curation". Pigeonsandplanes.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  7. "Moko: "Hand On Heart" - VICE". Noisey.vice.com. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  8. "RocketNumberNine & Moko, Neneh & Oscar and AnchorSong". Boilerroom.tv. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 May 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Black EP". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 November 2013.
  11. Milton, Jamie. "Fake DIY". Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  12. "The Biggest Hits The Biggest Throwbacks". Metroradio.co.uk. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  13. "Reviews | Clash Magazine". Clashmusic.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  14. "MNEK teams up with Moko for new song "Judgment Day" | Hamada Mania Music Blog". Hamadamania.com. 13 May 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  15. "Moko announces new EP, airs 'Your Love' video". Diymag.com. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  16. Windish Agency. "Windish Agency Bio". Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  17. "A First Date With... Moko - VICE". Noisey.vice.com. 15 January 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
  18. Wojciechowski, Robbie. "Buzz". NME. Archived from the original on 24 December 2013. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
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