Prabir Trio, an India-inspired rock and roll band led by the talented Prabir Mehta, has just released their latest video and song, “Rishikesh.” Directed by long-time RVA Magazine contributor Todd Raviotta, the track is from their upcoming album LONG AFTER THE EMPIRE, set to debut at an album release show on September 26th at The Camel.
Rishikesh is a place that leaves a lasting impression on anyone who visits. As Prabir Mehta reflects, “This is a small city along the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India. I’ve had many visits there, and each one is more eye-opening and introspective than the one before. A beautiful collection of humans separated into two by the Ganges River and suspended in the hearts and memories of anyone who’s ever set foot there.”
The inspiration for the song came from the Ram Jhula bridge, a suspension bridge spanning the sacred River Ganges. Prabir describes the moment of realization he experienced while walking across the bridge: “This song was inspired by walking across the Ram Jhula bridge and finally seeing myself in the moment I was actually in. From there one can pick where they wish to travel within. If you don’t look, then you’ll never find a moment that could open your mind. Namaste.”
In the words of director Todd Raviotta, “The Ram Jhula bridge is a suspension bridge in Rishikesh, the self-proclaimed spiritual epicenter of the universe, spanning over the sacred River Ganges. Many spiritual buildings, ashrams, temples, and mosques line its shores.” The video creatively incorporates elements inspired by classic music videos, including a nod to Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” and the split-screen editing style of Pablo Ferro from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).
Raviotta explains, “The Rishikesh music video pulls from over a year of live recordings of Prabir Trio performing the song, practice space footage specific to this video, travel video, and archival material to visualize the river crossing connection to our own James River City.”
This lead single from LONG AFTER THE EMPIRE bridges early waves of British psychedelic music with California classic rock, interwoven with traditional Indian ragas. “It blends soul and a bit of ’90s indie rock into a mature and rich musical composition, featuring thoughtful inner journey lyrics, tight musicianship, and harmonic vocal arrangements,” adds Raviotta. “It was a joy to pull from all these great shows and bring visual life to a new favorite song.”
As Prabir Mehta aptly puts it, “One could say that this song is truly about a bridge. This album is also an attempt to be a bridge between the heavier Indian traditional classical influence and the traditional rock ‘n’ roll inspiration. I also kind of want to be the bridge to Indian culture through my music. I guess I never realized how important a theme the bridge is and how it plays out through all of these things. Dang, if I had thought about that, I probably would’ve included it somewhere!”
