Representative Riffs

Summary

Everything Everywhere Daily: Episode Summary - "Representative Riffs"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Everything Everywhere Daily
• Host: Gary Arndt | Glassbox Media
• Episode: Representative Riffs
• Release Date: November 30, 2024
• Description: Explore the intriguing world of musical riffs that serve as cultural shorthand, representing various regions and countries through a few memorable notes.

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Introduction: The Power of Musical Riffs

In the episode titled "Representative Riffs," host Gary Arndt delves into the fascinating concept of musical riffs acting as cultural symbols. He begins by highlighting how certain short musical phrases—referred to as riffs—can instantly evoke associations with specific cultures or regions without the need for complete songs.

"Music is a very powerful thing. It can invoke a wide variety of emotions and moods." (00:00)

The Oriental Riff: A Western Invention

Gary introduces the Oriental Riff, a short musical phrase commonly used in Western media to signify Asian cultures, particularly China and Japan. He traces its origins and dispels common misconceptions about its authenticity.

• Usage in Media: Featured in songs like "Turning Japanese" by The Vapors (01:30), "Kung Fu Fighting" by Carl Douglas (01:30), and various films such as Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Breakfast at Tiffany's.

• Musical Structure: Based on the pentatonic scale, prevalent in many Asian music traditions. However, Gary clarifies that the riff itself is a Western creation.

"Those notes have become widely used in music to denote Asia generally, or sometimes China or Japan specifically." (01:30)

• Historical Context: Originated during the vaudeville era, often played on instruments like pianos or gongs in Asian-themed performances. Its popularity peaked in the 1970s and 80s.

• Cultural Misassociation: An NPR report revealed that Chinese individuals do not recognize the riff as representative of their traditional music, emphasizing its Western roots.

"No one had heard of it, and to them it sounded like Western music, not Chinese music." (01:30)

The Arabian Riff: Bridging Authenticity and Stereotype

Next, Gary explores the Arabian Riff, another musical shorthand used to evoke Middle Eastern and North African cultures.

• Possible Origins: Linked to the Algerian folk song "Kradusia," which may have influenced French music during colonial times. It was popularized in the 1893 Chicago World's Fair through the exhibition "A Street in Cairo."

• Musical Characteristics: Utilizes the Phrygian dominant scale, giving it an Eastern sound to Western ears.

"The riff typically employs the Phrygian dominant scale, which is a scale that has a distinctively Eastern sound to Western ears." (01:30)

• Usage in Media: Prominently featured in Hollywood films, cartoons, and performances depicting deserts, camels, and belly dancers.

• Modern Relevance: Unlike the Oriental Riff, the Arabian Riff continues to be widely used in contemporary music and media.

"Unlike the Oriental Riff, the Arabian Riff has been used many more times in modern music, including up to the present day." (01:30)

Other Notable Representative Riffs

Gary broadens the discussion by highlighting several other musical riffs associated with specific cultures:

1. Mexican Hat Dance (Harabe Tapatio):

   • Origin: 19th century Mexico, composed by Jesús González Rubio.
   • Modern Use: Performed by mariachi bands, it serves as an unmistakable symbol of Mexican culture.

   "Harabe Tapatio is the national dance of Mexico... Today, you'll most probably hear this music being played by a mariachI band." (01:30)

2. Scotland the Brave:

   • Origin: Late 19th to early 20th century Scotland.
   • Characteristics: Features bagpipes, making it instantly recognizable as Scottish.
   • Cultural Role: Functions as an unofficial national anthem, commonly performed at sporting events and cultural festivals.

   "You could probably play anything on the bagpipes, and people will associate it with Scotland." (01:30)

3. Tarantella Napoletana:

   • Origin: 17th century Naples, Italy.
   • Background: Initially believed to cure tarantula bites through frenetic dancing, it evolved into a celebration of courtship and joy.
   • Cultural Impact: Featured in films like The Godfather Part 2 and remains a staple in Italian music.

   "It was thought to expel the venom through frenetic movement." (01:30)

4. Rule Britannia:

   • Origin: Written as a poem in 1740, set to music by Thomas Arne the same year.
   • Purpose: Celebrates British maritime dominance and liberty.
   • Modern Relevance: Surprised the host by hitting number 10 on the UK singles charts in 2020.

   "Rule Britannia was first written as a poem in 1740 and then set to music by the composer Thomas Arne the same year." (01:30)

National Anthems as Representative Riffs

Gary discusses how certain national anthems function similarly to cultural riffs, instantly recognizable and symbolic of their respective nations:

1. La Marseillaise (France):

   • Origin: Composed in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle during the French Revolution.
   • Usage: Inspired troops and became a symbol of French nationalism.

   "The song earned its name when it was adopted by volunteer soldiers from Marseille who sang it as they marched to Paris." (01:30)

2. Russian Federation Anthem:

   • Background: Shares the melody with the Soviet Union's anthem but features different lyrics.
   • Cultural Presence: Used in various media to represent Russia, including by wrestler Nikolai Volkov in the WWF in the early 1980s.

   "Those opening notes have been used to reference Russia or the Soviet Union in many movies or games." (01:30)

3. O Canada:

   • History: Commissioned in 1880 for Quebec's St Jean Baptiste Day, widely adopted across Canada.
   • Adoption: Officially became Canada's national anthem in 1980, replacing "God Save the Queen."

   "The anthem officially became Canada's national anthem in 1980, following a century of widespread use." (01:30)

4. Australia's National Anthem:

   • Critique: Described as lackluster and not widely recognized outside Australia.
   • Alternative Suggestion: Gary humorously suggests adopting "Waltzing Matilda" as a more identifiable anthem, noting its recognition during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.

   "You could adopt a song that has one of the most identifiable riffs in music and is immediately associated with your country." (01:30)

Conclusion: Reflecting on Cultural Riffs

Gary wraps up the episode by pondering the reciprocal nature of musical representation. While Western music riffs have been used to symbolize Eastern cultures, he raises the question:

"What music do Asians think represents the West?" (01:30)

Though he mentions a survey conducted on this topic, specifics are not detailed within the transcript.

He concludes by acknowledging the contributions of his production team and Patreon supporters, encouraging listeners to engage with the community through social platforms.

"Your support helps me put out a show every single day." (01:30)

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Key Takeaways:

• Cultural Misrepresentation: Many representative riffs used in Western media do not originate from the cultures they intend to depict.
• Musical Simplicity: Short riffs based on scales like the pentatonic or Phrygian dominant create easily recognizable yet often stereotypical sounds.
• Enduring Impact: While some riffs have faded from popularity, others continue to resonate and evolve within modern media and national identities.
• Reciprocal Representation: The episode prompts listeners to consider how their own cultural music is represented or perceived internationally.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "Music is a very powerful thing. It can invoke a wide variety of emotions and moods." (00:00)
• "The stern riffs have become so ingrained that you instantly think about it when you hear it." (01:30)
• "Australia, that is my gift to you." (01:30)

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This comprehensive exploration by Gary Arndt offers listeners a deeper understanding of how simple musical phrases can carry significant cultural weight, shaping perceptions and reinforcing stereotypes across global media.

Transcript

[Gary Arndt]

Music is a very powerful thing. It can invoke a wide variety of emotions and moods. Particular songs we may have heard might invoke memories of when we first heard them. However, there is some music that can actually serve as a cultural shorthand. Not even full songs are necessary. Just a few notes can provide a very specific cultural reference. Learn more about representative riffs, what they are and how they came to be on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.

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[Gary Arndt]

This episode is Going to Be different this isn't a topic that you can really find much written about. I had to cobble much of this together personally, and what I'll be covering in this episode is by no means comprehensive. The entire episode rests from a minor obsession that I developed about 20 years ago, and it all stemmed from a very common series of notes that I'm sure you're all familiar with. It's so short that you can't even call it a song. It would be better classified as a riff. Yet it's appeared in many popular songs, movies and video games. Here are the nine notes these notes have become widely used in music to denote Asia generally, or sometimes China or Japan specifically. It appeared in the 1980s song turning Japanese by the Vapors. It appeared in the 1974 Carl Douglas hit Kung Fu Fighting. Variations of it can be found in the 1983 David Bowie song Little China Girl, as well as in the theme song to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on television. It's appeared in Looney Tunes and Pink Panther cartoons, as well as the Simpsons in movies. It was in Breakfast at Tiffany's accompanying the rather embarrassing portrayal of Mr. Yuninoshi, played by Mickey Rooney. It was also used in Kill Bill Vol. 1 and Team World Police. It was used in Street Fighter 2 and Mortal Kombat video games, and it's been used in Countless commercials. I'm pretty sure that all of you thought the same thing. When I played those notes, the thing that obsessed me was why was this the music used to denote Asia? And where did this music come from? This was, at least at the time, a very difficult thing to research. How does one do a search on nine musical notes? As I said, it was a minor obsession, but I always kind of wondered about it for years. Well, thankfully I wasn't the only person who was wondering the same thing. About 10 years ago, I came across a story that was published on National Public Radio that answered all my questions. Those notes have a name, and it's known as the Oriental Riff. It does not come from any Asian music. It is 100% an invention of Western music. The reason why we associate it with Asia and why it was used for that purpose is because the Riff's melodic structure is based on the pentatonic scale, which is prevalent in many traditional Asian music systems. The pentatonic scale is a five note musical scale commonly found in traditional music from various cultures, including East Asian, African, and Celtic traditions. Unlike the heptatonic seven note scale prevalent in Western music, the pentatonic scale emits semitones, creating a simpler, more open sound that avoids dissonance. During the vaudeville era, the Riff began to appear in performances featuring Asian themed acts. It was often played on instruments like a piano or a gong to introduce Chinese or Japanese characters, usually portrayed as caricatures or stereotypes. It reached its peak in about the 1970s and 80s, and it really isn't used that much anymore, unless it's satire. A team of NPR reporters stationed in Beijing went out on the street and asked regular Chinese people if they recognized the tune. No one had heard of it, and to them it sounded like Western music, not Chinese music. Sort of how there are YouTube videos that serve Panda expressed to people from China, and they do not recognize it as Chinese food. However, learning about the origins of the Oriental Riff wasn't the end of the story. I began seeking out other very short musical riffs that were used as cultural shorthands. Here's another that you are probably very familiar with. This piece is called the Arabian Riff, and it serves a very similar function to that of the Oriental Riff. It's a type of shorthand for references to Arabia and or North Africa. The origin of this, however, may actually come from the region. There is no conclusive proof as to its origin, but many musical historians think it stems from an Algerian folk song known as Kradusia. When France colonized Algeria. The music may have found its way into French music. There is a French song from 1719 that uses the first several notes. Its modern origins can be traced to the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. There was an exhibition called A Street in Cairo which had camels and snake charmers. There it was used in a song titled the Streets of Cairo, or the Poor Little Country Maid. The riff typically employs the Phrygian dominant scale, which is a scale that has a distinctively Eastern sound to Western ears. It gained widespread popularity in Hollywood and vaudeville during the early 20th century, appearing in many films, cartoons, and performances depicting deserts, camels, or belly dancers. Unlike the Oriental Riff, the Arabian Riff has been used many more times in modern music, including up to the present day. So these musical stereotypes developed over the years to a point where they really have no other purpose other than to represent those regions. They've become so ingrained that you instantly think about it when you hear it. But are there more? Yes, many of the musical riffs. And again, we're only talking a few notes here, not full songs can be used to identify a country, but they're usually parts of a longer song. In fact, a few identifying notes are so popular that many people never even heard the rest of the original song. For example, what country does this remind you of? That's part of the Mexican Hat Dance, or as it's known in Mexico, Harabe tapatio. Harabe Tapatio is the national dance of Mexico, and the music was written in the 19th century by Jesus Gonzalez Rubio, with the modern arrangement being made in the 1920s. Today, you'll most probably hear this music being played by a marachi band. Here's another that I'm sure you can associate with its country almost immediately. To be fair, the bagpipes are a big part of what makes these notes recognizable. You could probably play anything on the bagpipes, and people will associate it with Scotland. But this is the bagpipe song. The song is called Scotland the Brave, and it's a rather recent tune. Scotland the Brave emerged in the late 19th or early 20th century with its melody. First published in a 1911 collection called the Scottish Student Songbook, the song gained popularity, is a traditional pipe tune, and became an unofficial national anthem of Scotland, often performed at sporting events, military ceremonies, and cultural festivals. Here is another riff that you should be able to recognize immediately. The name of this tune, which you might remember from The Godfather Part 2, is Tarantella Napoletana. Tarantella Napolitana is an Italian folk dance and musical piece originating in Naples, and it's often associated with southern Italian culture. Its history traces back to the 17th century. Rooted in the belief that dancing the tarantella could cure the bite of the tarantula spider, hence the name tarantella. It was thought to expel the venom through frenetic movement. Over time, the dance evolved into a celebration of courtship and joy, characterized by its fast tempo and 68 rhythm. The riff was also used as the basis for the 1950s song Lucky, Lucky, Lucky Me, performed by Evelyn Knight and the Ray Charles Band. Here is another European country that you can probably recognize immediately. This is from the song Rule Britannia. Rule Britannia was first written as a poem in 1740 and then set to music by the composer Thomas Arne the same year. Written during a period of growing British naval power, the song celebrates British maritime dominance and liberty, encapsulated in the famous refrain Rule Britannia, Britannia, rule the waves. Initially a theatrical piece, it quickly gained popularity as a nationalistic hymn, especially during the Napoleonic wars and the height of the British Empire. Believe it or not, it actually hit number 10 on the UK singles charts in 2020. There are of course, some riffs that were designed to be representative of their countries. These would be national anthems. The truth is, most national anthems are quite poor and forgettable. However, there are a few good ones out there, or if not good, at least they're instantly recognizable. For example, this one. That is, of course, the Marseillaise, the national anthem of France. It was composed in 1792 by Claude Joseph Roget de Lisle, an army officer during the French Revolution. It was written to inspire troops defending the revolutionary cause against foreign monarchies. The song earned its name when it was adopted by volunteer soldiers from Marseille who sang it as they marched to Paris. If you remember my episode on the 1812 Overture, those opening bars are a musical reference to France that are used in the composition. I can remember a group of Frenchmen drinking heavily one night in Uluru in Central Australia, and they were all singing the Marseillaise, to which I have to commend them for having a national anthem that you can at least sing while drinking. Speaking of which, the General that is the current national anthem of the Russian Federation, which uses the same melody as the national anthem of the Soviet Union, but with their different lyrics. Those opening notes have been used to reference Russia or the Soviet Union in many movies or games, but my biggest memory of it is when Nikolai Volkov sang it before his matches in the WWF in the early 1980s. Here's another national anthem you can probably name in just the first four notes I gotta say, Canada has a pretty good national anthem as national anthems go. The song O Canada was originally commissioned in 1880 for the St Jean Baptiste Day celebrations in Quebec. It gained popularity across Canada, with several English translations emerging over the years, but the version by Robert Stanley Ware in 1908 became the most widely used. The anthem officially became Canada's national anthem in 1980, following a century of widespread use, replacing God Save the Queen for that role. And I should also mention a country that, quite frankly, doesn't have a very good national anthem. Australia. Sorry, Australia. No one outside of Australia knows what your national anthem is. It's so boring I'm not even going to bother to play it because there's no riff in it that is memorable. I remember standing for it at the semifinals of the Rugby World cup in 2011 in Auckland and I didn't even know what I was listening to. However, believe it or not, between 1976 and 1980, they could use Waltzing Matilda at the Olympics for gold medal ceremonies, which was awesome. Thankfully, Australia, you have a very easy solution to your problem. You could adopt a song that has one of the most identifiable riffs in music and is immediately associated with your country. A song that every Australian would be proud to hear at every sporting event. Australia, that is my gift to you. I want to end this episode by going back to the start of the episode. The Oriental riff is a piece of music used in the west to represent Asia and that raises the what music do Asians think represents the West? Well, a survey was conducted, granted, not very scientific and this was the most popular answer. The executive producer of Everything Everywhere Daily is Charles Daniel. The associate producers are Benji Long and Cameron Keever. I want to give a big shout out to everyone who supports the show over on Patreon, including the show's producers. Your support helps me put out a show every single day and also Patreon is currently the only place where Everything Everywhere Daily merchandise is available to the top tier of supporters. If you'd like to talk to other listeners of the show and members of the Completionist Club, you can join the Everything Everywhere Daily Facebook group or Discord server. Links to Everything are in the show Notes.