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Okuda Hiroko: The Casio Employee Behind the “Sleng Teng” Riddim that Revolutionized Reggae

  • The Casiotone MT-40, which sold for ¥35,000. (Courtesy Okuda Hiroko)

    The Casiotone MT-40, which sold for ¥35,000. (Courtesy Okuda Hiroko)

  • Okuda Hiroko plays a Casio electric piano.

    Okuda Hiroko plays a Casio electric piano.

  • A Casiotone 201 on display in the showroom at Casio head office. The company’s first electronic instrument could reproduce the sounds of 29 different musical instruments.

    A Casiotone 201 on display in the showroom at Casio head office. The company’s first electronic instrument could reproduce the sounds of 29 different musical instruments.

  • For this interview, Okuda met us at Casio head office in Shibuya, but normally she works out of the company’s R&D Center in Hamura on the outskirts of greater Tokyo.

    For this interview, Okuda met us at Casio head office in Shibuya, but normally she works out of the company’s R&D Center in Hamura on the outskirts of greater Tokyo.

  • Okuda during her first six months at Casio, just before she started work on developing tracks for the MT-40. (Courtesy Okuda Hiroko)

    Okuda during her first six months at Casio, just before she started work on developing tracks for the MT-40. (Courtesy Okuda Hiroko)

  • The preset buttons on the Casiotone MT-40. The number of switches was limited, which made selecting and using the presets less than straightforward. Noel Davey remembered having “lost the rhythm” at one stage during the songwriting process.

    The preset buttons on the Casiotone MT-40. The number of switches was limited, which made selecting and using the presets less than straightforward. Noel Davey remembered having “lost the rhythm” at one stage during the songwriting process.

  • Okuda at work at Casio’s Hamura R&D Center around the time she learned of the Sleng Teng craze her preset rhythm had inspired. (Courtesy of Okuda Hiroko)

    Okuda at work at Casio’s Hamura R&D Center around the time she learned of the Sleng Teng craze her preset rhythm had inspired. (Courtesy of Okuda Hiroko)

  • The original “MT-40 riddim” is installed in the current model of the Casiotone Mini-keyboard SA-76, allowing users to listen to and use the classic “rock” preset pattern. (Courtesy Casio)

    The original “MT-40 riddim” is installed in the current model of the Casiotone Mini-keyboard SA-76, allowing users to listen to and use the classic “rock” preset pattern. (Courtesy Casio)

  • The artwork created at the end of a demonstration performance using the Music Tapestry technology. A wide variety of colorful creations can be seen on the official Instagram page for the new technology. (Courtesy Casio)

    The artwork created at the end of a demonstration performance using the Music Tapestry technology. A wide variety of colorful creations can be seen on the official Instagram page for the new technology. (Courtesy Casio)

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