Oriental riff
The Oriental riff, also known as the Asian riff or the Chinese riff, is a musical riff or phrase that has often been used as a trope or stereotype of orientalism in Western culture to represent the idea of the Orient, China, Japan or a generic East Asian theme by Western culture. The riff is sometimes accompanied by the sound of a gong.
It remains an open question as to whether the Oriental riff has an actual origin in the region it is used to represent or is a Western invention, dating back to the “Aladdin Quick Step” used in an Aladdin stage show, The Grand Chinese Spectacle of Aladdin or The Wonderful Lamp, in 1847.[1][2] The notes used in the riff are part of a pentatonic scale, giving the riff a resemblance to East Asian music.
In Western music
The Oriental riff has been included as part of numerous musical works.
Popular music pieces containing the riff:
In video games
In movies and television
- Commentary! The Musical, the musical commentary to Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, includes the riff in the song "Nobody's Asian in the Movies".
- It was also included in the opening theme music to the cooking show Wok with Yan.
- A variation of the riff was used throughout the 1981 film The Cannonball Run, particularly when the movie cut to scenes featuring Japanese racers played by Jackie Chan and Michael Hui.
- A similar riff is heard during Gene Kelly's roller-skating performance in the 1955 musical It's Always Fair Weather.
- In one episode of the TV series Family Guy, Stewie Griffin makes fun of a serious-looking Asian businessman by singing "I work really hard 'cause I'm no fun" to the tune of the Oriental riff, and anchorman Tom Tucker reads an intro for reporter "Asian reporter" Tricia Takanawa, the recurring character who is the show's commentary on Asian stereotyping, to the tune as well ("gonna tell us all about the rain").
- The tone is used in the Cartoon series Drawn Together, associated with the character Ling Ling.
- The theme to the 1974 Hanna-Barbera cartoon series Hong Kong Phooey uses a variant on the riff.
Other uses
Zach Galifianakis, a contemporary musical comedian, includes the Oriental riff in his act:
- Whenever my Asian roommate walks in the door, I play this. [he plays the riff] And she says "Zach, why do you do that every time I come in the room?" and I say "Because I don't have a gong."
See also
References