Augusto Merciano Costa: A Voice of Madeira’s Soul Augusto Merciano da Costa (1877-1915) wasn't a name etched in the grand halls of European art history, yet his work represents a vital thread in the tapestry of Portuguese folk music and cultural identity. Born on the island of Madeira, a volcanic jewel adrift in the Atlantic, Costa’s life was inextricably linked to its unique traditions – particularly the cavaquinho, a small four-stri…