Okuda Hiroko: The Casio employee behind the “Sleng Teng” riddim that revolutionized reggae

The “Sleng Teng” riddim revolutionized reggae music in the mid-1980s, and has spawned hundreds of versions in the decades since then. Less well known is the story of how the distinctive bassline originated in a preset sample included on a Casio electronic keyboard and the work of a young developer fresh out of college.

This is one of those brilliant stories where one person does one small thing and inadvertently changes the world.