The Algarve’s musical fraternity is in mourning this week after the tragic death of 48-year-old guitarist Miguel Drago, killed in a head-on collision on Sunday afternoon (April 19) on one of the most notorious stretches of the EN125 “road of death”.
The accident happened in Sítio do Vale Verde, near AlgarveShopping, and saw two others – reportedly Drago’s wife and the driver of the other vehicle involved – in hospital in “serious condition”. Both are being treated in Faro Hospital’s emergency unit, a hospital source confirmed.
Known for his virtuosity on the guitar, Drago was well-known in the Algarve and one of the resident artists of Tavira’s ‘Fado Com História’ musical project.
The Coimbra-born musician also played with a number of Algarve artists and musical performers, including the acclaimed Pedro Frias Band.
“Miguel, you will live forever in the strings of the Portuguese guitar, in the Coimbra technique that only you knew how to use,” Frias has written on Drago’s Facebook page.
“It was a privilege for me to share the stage with you and your calm and mature personality that made everything we did easier,” he added.
Meantime, tributes are flooding in from many other quarters, as GNR police investigate the causes of the accident.
The Guia-Albufeira stretch is considered one of the most dangerous of the road that is well-known for its terrible accidents.
In 2013, much-loved local resident and humanitarian Peta Birch died in a similar crash nearby.
“Serious measures” against tolls in the pipeline
As this latest road death marks the Algarve, anti-tolls group CUVI has blamed the PSD/CDS-PP coalition for the accident, saying its insistence on maintaining the tolls on the A22 – the only alternative to the EN125 – is putting lives at risk.
The group led by Portimão councilor João Vasconcelos said it will be taking “serious measures” – to be outlined later today.
Caption: Miguel Drago, pictured left, with Fado singer Teresa Viola and Virgílio Lança in Tavira’s ‘Fado Com História’ musical project
