The Senegal Beat Making Challenge is to sample a West African stringed instrument called a kora, to make a riddim (Jamaican patwa for “rhythm”). While a riddim can be one of several genres [roots, reggae, dub, raga, lover’s rock, soca, bouyon, dancehall, reggae, digital riddim] for the purposes of this challenge we are looking for a dancehall or reggae beat. Best beat wins a free Soundcloud Pro account – visit our Challenge Page for more details.

What is a Riddim?

Popular riddims are often used by several different artists, such as the “Diwali” riddim created by Lenky Marsden, which was a chart-topping instrumental for three different artists in 2003. Check it out:

Sean Paul’s “Get Busy” (Diwali riddim comes in at 10 second mark):

Wayne Wonder’s “No Letting Go” (Diwali riddim comes in at 44 second mark):

and Lumidee’s “Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh)“: