"Drizzle" (Chinese: 毛毛雨; pinyin: Máomáo Yǔ) is a Mandarin-language song written by Li Jinhui in 1927 and recorded by his daughter Minghui in 1928.
Blending traditional Chinese folk music with western influences, the song lyrically promotes romantic love.
[1] "Drizzle" blended diverse influences, including traditional Chinese strings, jazz-inspired woodwinds, and elements of Jewish klezmer.
[4] The original 1928 release employed more traditional instruments, mostly handled by Li's Bright Moon Song Troupe.
[7] The lyrics to "Drizzle" are described by the feminist scholar Qiliang He as emphasizing the importance of romantic love and individual freedom, as well as contemporary Chinese youths' vitality commitment to the values espoused by the May Fourth Movement.
Sheet music for "Drizzle" was published in 1927, and a pressing with Li Minghui on vocals was released by Pathé Records in 1928.
[10] She employed what the music historian Ya-Hui Cheng described as "a nasally, falsetto sonority" with a "high-pitched tone colour".
The writer Lu Xun was critical of the record, likening its vocals to "the cacophony produced by a hanged cat".
[6] "Drizzle" was popular as sheet music, and consequently after 1929 Li Jinhui began writing more love songs.
[14] Similarly, numerous other songs by other writers adopted the same style, taking advantage of advances in radio technology to reach broader audiences.