American Sikhs Celebrate Obama

T.W. Farnam reports on a ball off the beaten track. What was the opening musical act of the Sikh Inaugural Ball held to celebrate the swearing-in of the first African-American president in the capital of the United States? Well, bagpipes, of course. Susi Taylor-Neumann , 19, of Adelaide, Australia, blew “Waltzing Matilda” and more traditional Scottish songs for the heavily-male and typically-older crowd –- and proved to be a big hit. The iterant traveler said she got the gig on the online classified site Craigslist.org. While the celebrities walking on red carpets all over town may have gotten more attention, the basement restaurant just a few blocks from the White House was brimming with enthusiasm. “Sikhs came out in large numbers to vote for Barack Obama , so of course we are here celebrating as well,” said Gurveen Vohra , the organizer of the event along with her husband, Lakhinder . “We are a minority you know, and he’s seen the same struggle as all of us.” Several people at the ... (link)