How a Japanese woman helped revolutionize Jamaican Reggae
In 1985, the world of Jamaican music changed forever with the release of Wayne Smith’s hit “Under Mi Sleng Teng”; a track that would usher in the digital era of reggae and forever redefine the sound of dancehall.
But behind the iconic Sleng Teng riddim lies a fascinating and unexpected international twist: a Japanese woman named Hiroko Okuda.
The Beat That Travelled the World
At the heart of the Sleng Teng revolution is the Casiotone MT-40, a consumer keyboard first sold in 1981.
It was Hiroko Okuda’s very first project after joining Casio, the Tokyo-based tech company better known for calculators and G-Shock watches.
One of the MT-40’s preset rhythm patterns, labelled simply as “rock,” was created by Okuda as part of her work developing fun, accessible sounds for beginner musicians.
Little did she know, her rhythmic creation would spark a musical revolution across the Caribbean.
From Kingston to Tokyo – An Accidental Collaboration
According to legend, Noel Davey, a rising Jamaican keyboardist (who would later work with the Marley brothers), received an MT-40 from a friend.
One afternoon, while experimenting with its features, Davey stumbled upon a pre-programmed pattern that would become the backbone of “Under Mi Sleng Teng.”
Alongside Wayne Smith, he transformed the beat into one of the most important tracks in reggae history.
Sleng Teng didn’t just top the charts; it ushered in the digital age of reggae, birthing what became known as the “digital dancehall” era.
It marked a shift from traditional, analog rhythms to computer-generated beats, making production faster, cheaper and more globally accessible.
The Riddim That Changed Everything
Once released, Sleng Teng quickly became a riddim; a reusable instrumental backing and exploded in popularity.
It inspired a wave of new tracks and artists, including Sugar Minott, Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown and members of Third World, such as Ibo Cooper.
Over time, even more sophisticated synths like the Casio CZ-101 and Yamaha DX100 were used to replicate or remix the riddim, but the original magic came from the MT-40 and from Okuda’s fingertips in Japan.
A Hidden Pioneer in Reggae’s Digital Dawn
Okuda, who studied music composition at Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo, became interested in reggae in the late 1970s, even attending Bob Marley’s concerts in Japan.
But she had no idea that her work on the MT-40 would ripple across oceans and reshape the soundscape of Jamaican music.
“I still can’t believe it,” she once said. “It feels like a miracle. If I ever meet them, I just want to say thank you for using it. I’m so grateful.”
Noel Davey, too, acknowledges the connection. Though the two have never met, he believes that Okuda deserves proper recognition for her role in reggae’s digital birth, just as he hopes his own contributions will be remembered.
From a keyboard in Japan to sound systems in Kingston, the Sleng Teng riddim stands as a testament to reggae’s limitless reach and universal rhythm.
