'The nightingale of Bangladesh.' The singer, Firoza Begum devoted her life to popularising the music and the work of Nazrul Islam in dozens of recordings and performances across South Asia, and was also known as 'the nightingale of Bangladesh.' She served as the first chairperson of the Nazrul Institute, a government-funded institution dedicated to publishing the poet's works and recordings. In 1949, she was selected as one of the voices for the inauguration of Pakistan Radio's Dhaka studio. Her concert schedule took in the United States, Canada, the Middle East and Australia, and she is estimated to have performed more than 300 solo concerts. In 1979, Firoza Begum received Bangladesh's Independence Day Award the country's highest such honour. Firoza Begum was born into an aristocratic, landowning family in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Her interest in music began when she was very young. After her performance in front of Nazrul Islam he took on her as his personal student. She passed away in Dhaka where her coffin was placed on public display and was attended by thousands of people paying their respect.