Denai Moore

Denai Moore is a British-Jamaican artist and singer. Her most recent album Modern Dread was released in July 2020.^[1] Moore's musical style is a mix of soul, folk, electronic, and other styles, and she has said she takes influence from Lauryn Hill and Bon Iver.^[2] She refers to her own music as "genre free".^[3] She has been described as "one to watch out for" by The Fader.^[4]

Denai Moore
Born	Spanish Town, Jamaica
Genres	Soul folk R&B
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar
Years active	2013–present

Early life and career

Moore was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, where she learned to play keyboards from her father. Her family moved to Stratford, London when she was 10.^[5] After she left school, she played in small clubs in East London, and appeared as a guest vocalist on SBTRKT's 2014 album Wonder Where We Land. She later signed with Because Music.^[6]

Moore's first single, "The Lake", was produced by Plan B.^[7] Her album Elsewhere was released in 2015 and produced by Rodaidh McDonald (The xx, Savages).^[8] Her second album We Used To Bloom was released in 2017.^[9] Modern Dread was released in 2020; in a review of the album The Guardian noted that "Moore’s hypnotically sinister beats take the listener on a surrealist journey into a fantasy world."^[1]

Moore became a vegan in 2015. In 2017, Moore founded a vegan supper club called Dee's Table.^[10]

Cookbook

In April 2023, Hardie Grant published Moore's cookbook, Plentiful: Vegan Jamaican Recipes to Repeat.^[11] In July, the New York Times covered a dinner in honor of the cookbook at the Carl Freedman Gallery in Margate. The dinner was held at the opening of an art show curated by fashion designer Ronan Mckenzie.^[10]

Reception

Mayukh Sen of The Washington Post said the book's "recipes imaginatively take advantage of the bounties of Jamaica."^[12] Avery Yale Kamila of the Portland Press Herald included the book on her list of the best plant-based books of 2023.^[13] Fliss Freborn of National Geographic included the book on her list of the best new summer cookbooks.^[14]

References

1. Sotire, Timi (3 July 2020). "Denai Moore: Modern Dread review – hypnotic, surrealist bid for freedom". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
2. "Denai Moore - New Faces". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
3. "Denai Moore on 'Trickle' visual: 'it represents the unexpected nature of anxiety'". gal-dem. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
4. "Hear "I Swore," A Tearful Ballad From SBTRKT Collaborator Denai Moore". The FADER. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
5. "Denai Moore - New Faces". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
6. Commeillas, David. "Denai Moore, la candeur électro-folk". Les Inrocks (in French). Retrieved 23 May 2017.
7. Cragg, Michael (11 October 2013). "Denai Moore – The Lake: New music". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
8. Cragg, Michael (5 April 2015). "Denai Moore: Elsewhere review – debut album soaked in sadness". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
9. Day, Laurence (10 May 2017). "Denai Moore announces new record We Used To Bloom". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
10. Woo, Kin (26 July 2023). "A Vibrant Vegan Dinner on the British Coast". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 17 February 2024.
11. "Hardie Grant snaps up vegan Jamaican cookbook by musician and chef Moore". The Bookseller. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
12. Sen, Mayukh (15 May 2023). "This vegan chef and musician is changing the tune around Jamaican food". The Washington Post.
13. Kamila, Avery Yale (26 November 2023). "With these books, give the gift of health (your own and the planet's): Several new cookbooks, a travel guide and two novels make excellent gifts for the vegan, vegetarian or the veg-curious person in your life". Press Herald. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
14. Freborn, Fliss (13 July 2023). "5 of the best new cookbooks for summer". Travel. Retrieved 13 December 2023.