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

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

#211
post #44

For people wondering "what's the sleng teng riddim?" here's some examples: Original "under mi sleng teng" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjw7m-BKmQ8 One of my favorites, "The Don" by peter metro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnZuTOH2zoc 90 minute sleng teng mix (here's a bunch): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwLKc61dVWQ related: Under mi sensi (doesn't actually use sleng teng riddim but it's a riff on the sleng…

> A different riddim (bookshelf), but great example of seeing the DJ at work on a riddim mix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyGhjR7CE3k

that's awesome. he's actually mixing! :D

as a vinyl DJ myself, i have to say mixing break beats is the most fun. you can really bounce rhythms around on the 2s and 4s, and the relative sparseness of the percussion lines lets you do some neat things by mixing in and out the highs and mids of two tracks while just playing the bass line of one.

fun stuff, and super cool story. thanks for the links!

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

#212
post #198

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I used to keep a little list of riddims, here's more from sleng teng: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61kVhWClUZo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOMZlVLh1Ts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9mrs1Ge8fo then there's stalag riddim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4fjGwVpbm0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbQX0QmngYg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3d4Efp5TMc and my favourite heavenless riddim: https://www.youtube.co…

I know this comes at odds with "no photos allowed" but is there some good footage on youtube? Sounds like something I'd enjoy watching, just like 80s warehouse parties with early acid house.

Yeah there are

Jah Shaka is the first one I've ever went - has been playing for like 50+ years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMURjgim0Z0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IohY9uO3H8Q

Ruapuke Roots festival in NZ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wj2gLczlSCk

Alpha Steppas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wjy3MPvKOjQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLaY7-ggQ6E

Generally what you hear above is called a dub plate - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaJ0d6btxSM

Also worth noting - got dinged for smoking spliff - cannabis with tobacco and not pure cannabis...

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

#213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Suppose you’re my coworker. I can’t really speak for you. I don’t know your opinions! You didn’t ask me to be your spokesperson. Cool? Makes sense? But, I remember that one time you said you’re allergic to nuts. Next year, somebody’s making cookies for the office. He asks what kind of cookies everybody likes. He’s thinking of making macadamia nut cookies. You’re out of the office that day. “Oh, I’m not sure what kind…

So if my fiancee, who is part native, says it's okay to make and sell native-style dream catchers, I can just ignore your friends when you say it's not okay?

What a poor attempt at reductio ad absurdum. If you put half the effort into understanding this as you're currently spending on fighting very hard to not understand it, you'd have more free time in your day and learn something to boot.

There are quite a few native americans who find it wack when people, especially those belonging to the culture that took their land and more or less genocided them, co-opt their cultural symbols.

There are also a lot of native americans who don't care, probably some who think it's neato and a lot of native americans for whom the entire issue gets a big old "not applicable" because it's a big continent and "native american" is not a monolithic culture and not all of them give a shit about dream catchers.

Ultimately, it's up to you. You can decide to give a shit about the N% of native americans who feel it's wack for white people to make dream catchers, or you can decide they're a bunch of whiny crybabies who aren't qualified to make decisions about their own culture, and open a big ol' dream catcher factory within spitting distance of your nearest reservation. A lot of people will think you're a dick, and probably a lot of people will think you're a totally cool dude who just owned the libs.

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

#214
post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree but it is also worth how/if the majority reacts to those kind of fringe ideas.

That's a good point. I think perhaps the importance of that depends on how... unified the group is, you know? If there are 3 people at a dinner table and one of them is acting badly, definitely hold the other 2 accountable. If there are 1,000,000 people in a political party and 1% of them are acting badly, I think the 99% and the leaders are somewhat responsible. If there's a vague concept like "cultural appropriatio…

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

#215

SL2 sampled it in this classic dance track from the 90’s https://youtu.be/xI8S1Nn6NRk I had no idea until now where the sample came from.

I never realised there was some Kool & the Gang in there too: https://www.whosampled.com/SL2/Way-in-My-Brain/

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

#216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So if my fiancee, who is part native, says it's okay to make and sell native-style dream catchers, I can just ignore your friends when you say it's not okay?

This speaks to a fatal flaw with the concept of cultural appropriation. Ok, so a "white" person can't "speak for Native Americans", but a Native American can? Can any, or just certain ones? Who wins if they disagree?

There's no "disagreement" between Native Americans in the sense that some of them are imploring white people to capitalize on their spiritual paraphernalia, and others are telling white people not to do that, and oh jeez what do we do we can't make both sides happy ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Instead, there are a sizable number of Native Americans who would prefer that white people don't capitalize on their spiritual practices. And then there are many who aren't all that invested in the matter, and simply don't care, but you're not going to disrespect or hurt or belittle them by respecting the others.

So there's a pretty clear course of action, for those who are willing to give half a shit about others, but that's definitely a choice that we all have to make on an individual basis.

You can choose not to care, or not care.

You can also tell yourself that you do care but they're being dumb. That one gets extra cool points.

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

#217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This speaks to a fatal flaw with the concept of cultural appropriation. Ok, so a "white" person can't "speak for Native Americans", but a Native American can? Can any, or just certain ones? Who wins if they disagree?

There's no "disagreement" between Native Americans in the sense that some of them are imploring white people to capitalize on their spiritual paraphernalia, and others are telling white people not to do that, and oh jeez what do we do we can't make both sides happy ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Instead, there are a sizable number of Native Americans who would prefer that white people don't capitalize on their spiritual practices. And th…

> some of them are imploring white people to capitalize on their spiritual paraphernalia

There are no Native Americans making money from such activities? Looks like you do speak for them after all! You can guarantee that not a single one of them sells dreamcatchers.

Are the number of Indians excoriating Westerners for appropriating yoga "sizable", or not?

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

#218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's no "disagreement" between Native Americans in the sense that some of them are imploring white people to capitalize on their spiritual paraphernalia, and others are telling white people not to do that, and oh jeez what do we do we can't make both sides happy ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Instead, there are a sizable number of Native Americans who would prefer that white people don't capitalize on their spiritual practices. And th…

> some of them are imploring white people to capitalize on their spiritual paraphernalia There are no Native Americans making money from such activities? Looks like you do speak for them after all! You can guarantee that not a single one of them sells dreamcatchers. Are the number of Indians excoriating Westerners for appropriating yoga "sizable", or not?

Hey, listen. I made an effort here to try and help a stranger understand something. In the end it's your choice, and I think your choice is very clear. Take care.

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

#219
post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any examples?

Sure. Plenty in the replies here; just scroll a bit. Folks claiming the idea of "cultural appropriation" is absurd, because they heard that "eating sushi" or "getting a deep tan if you're white" are "cultural appropriation" and so therefore the whole idea is dumb. It's about as valid as claiming that Linux users are maniacs because hey, I heard there was this one creepy dude at a conference once and he used Linux.

What I occasionally see is that wearing other cultures clothing is seen as appropriation by people who aren't members of the culture, when actual members of the culture appreciate it.

If it is actual members of the culture complaining, it makes much more sense than when non members are complaining on their behalf.

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

#220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

First of all, just to make sure we're on the same page about maybe one single thing, I don't think anybody thinks the subject of the linked article is cultural appropriation. I sure don't. Ultimately everything is somewhat of consensus in society, right? I mean, even near-universal truths like "murder is generally bad" or "helping your neighbors is good" are just sort of things most societies kind of agree on. Someti…

> But a lot of people from group ABC feel like it's pretty crappy for me to use XYZ. Let's assume you had chosen a better example, such as abusing a religious symbol as the logo of a nightclub... But there is also a whole lot of mindless calling-out going on regarding cultural appropriation. Most uses of imported cultural material are not meant to denigrate or minimize and don't do so by accident. "Stealing" culture…

> "Stealing" culture is a stupid concept

The wikipedia clarifies very well the concept of appropriation and how it's not a matter of theft.

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