BUUNNI Coffee, in collaboration with Zena Group, is thrilled to present an extraordinary evening of music with Falsa, an ensemble known for its transcendent exploration of 14th-century Sufi music. This is a rare opportunity to partake in a musical experience that harmonizes the ancient and the contemporary, the familiar and the novel.
Featured on NPR and celebrated at esteemed venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Falsa is known for invoking a deep sense of meditation, transcendence, and conversation through their music. Join us as we venture into a captivating musical landscape, where classical Sufi verses meet innovative contemporary arrangements.
Falsa collaborates with a diverse group of improvisational World musicians, challenging traditional genre boundaries and cultural stereotypes. Their performances engage audiences in a powerful, collective experience that illuminates the interconnectedness of our shared human experience.
The return of FALSA to the BUUNNI stage gives the Inwood community another opportunity to participate in this unique and rarely offered musical experience.
Delicious food, beer and wine and other treats available for purchase!
Based in New York City, ‘Falsa’ is a vibrant ensemble of diverse improvisational musicians. Anchored in the mystic traditions of 14th-century Sufi music—akin to the elevating poetry of Rumi—the group serves up an eclectic blend of minimalist meditation, raga jazz fusion, high-energy world improvisation, and immersive ritual-communitas performances featuring dancers and captivating visuals. But at its heart, Falsa is dedicated to normalizing the transcendent experience through music. The band’s name, ‘Falsa,’ draws from a deeply personal and mystical narrative. Named after a tropical berry native to India and Pakistan, ‘Falsa’ represents the Sufi concept of longing for union—a theme that lead vocalist Umer has intimately experienced. After a decade-long separation from Pakistan due to intricate immigration bureaucracies, Umer’s eventual return was marked by a poignant realization. Tasting the ‘falsa’ fruit again broke through the emotional barriers he had built and brought him face-to-face with the truth: “Home is something you cannot take with you, you have to return to it.”
By weaving this narrative into their music, Falsa illuminates the magical aspects of experience that aren’t acquisitions but gifts. In the world of Falsa, Sufi music isn’t a means to an end, but a journey towards meaning and transcendence.