Dear Arvinder,

Thanks for your positive message on our Diwali program. We would be delighted to have a Bhangra next time. That would be an excellent and very colorful thing to add in our next program, hopefully in about six month. Please check the following site:

http://www.bnl.gov/bera/activities/iaa/

I am sorry for disappointing your son. Your impression was right. In my mind the instrumental music was supposed to have some relationship to the Indian culture, music, etc. But only some people like you followed that sense truthfully. Next time I would have to check it for carefully so that we are more consistent. You see our regular schools do provide an opportunity to play Christmas songs, etc.. But not all kids/teens/adults get a chance to play Indian music in public. The purpose of such programs is to provide that opportunity. To keep the length of program reasonable, I would like to see that in future either the instrument is Indian or the music is Indian.

Please convey my apology to your son.

--Ramesh