Foni Borua
Foni Borua was a Bangladeshi musician. He was a pioneer of folk culture and modern Kavigan. In recognition of his contributions to music, the Government of Bangladesh awarded him the country's second-highest civilian honor, the Ekushey Padak, in 2001.
Early life
Foni Borua was born in 1915 in the village of Panchkhain in Raozan, Chittagong, which was then part of the Bengal Presidency under British India. His father was Nandakumar Barua and his mother was Shyama Barua. Foni lost his mother at an early age. He studied up to class three at the village school.He initially chose the life of a mendicant monk, but left it after some time and moved to Burma. There, he worked as a painter's assistant—painting trunks and floral designs. While in Rangoon, he was introduced to kavigan through the performances of Motilal Barua and eventually became his disciple. After three years, he returned to his village and earned a living by singing Buddhist devotional songs and continuing his work as a painter. He also repaired torches, fixed watches, did soldering work, and ran a small workshop offering these services.