African Winds and Muslim Djinns. Trance, Healing, and Devotion in Baluchistan

Extract

During their migration from West to East, the Baluchis absorbed numerous ethnic groups. The most exogenous elements in this assimilation process were the Africans who live today in large numbers notably in Karachi. These Africans are so well integrated that the Baluchis often deny their foreign origins. They say that Baluchis had settled in Zanzibar and in Tanzania since an unknown time, and that their descendants had come back to their country of origin physically and culturally affected by this sojourn. They brought back with them customs, chants and exotic dances, and spoke only Tanzanian. Such explications speak to the ability of the Baluchis to integrate ethnic groups of all origins (Brahu'is, Sindi, Makrâni, Jatt, etc.) regardless of race, while adopting elements of their culture. They prefer to forget sometimes that there are descendants of slaves among them, but they do remain aware of the African origin of certain traditions, notably evident in the zâr and lewâ musical rites.