Brindavan Revel

Brindavan Revel is a composition by Indian musician Ananda Shankar, released as part of his self-titled debut album in 1970. The track runs for 3 minutes and 23 seconds. Shankar blended traditional Indian classical instruments with Western psychedelic rock and funk elements, creating a fusion style that distinguished his early work. The album appeared under the label Reprise Records in the United States and World Pacific Records in other regions.

The piece features Shankar on sitar alongside electric guitar, tabla, and synthesizers. The arrangement incorporates raga-inspired melodies over a rhythmic groove, reflecting his training under sitarist Ravi Shankar (his uncle) and his exposure to Western popular music. The track exemplifies the cross-cultural experimentation of the late 1960s and early 1970s, a period when Indian classical music gained international attention through collaborations with Western artists.

No official singles released from the album are documented, but Brindavan Revel became one of its most recognized tracks. The original recording session details, including contributing musicians beyond Shankar, remain partially unverified in public sources. Later compilations and reissues, such as the 1996 CD release by Blue Moon Records, included the track as a standout example of Shankar’s innovative approach.

The composition’s title references Brindavan, a town in Uttar Pradesh associated with the Hindu deity Krishna, aligning with Shankar’s thematic use of devotional and mythological motifs. Live performances of the piece are not widely recorded, though Shankar toured internationally during the 1970s. The track’s legacy persists in retrospectives on Indo-Western fusion, often cited alongside works by artists like Ali Akbar Khan and The Beatles for its role in popularizing Indian classical music abroad.