Over the more than five hundred years of existence of musical formations in the Navy, there have been countless changes, from their name to the number of musicians that made them up, making it virtually impossible to list them all.
In fact, the historical sources are only reasonably reliable on this matter from the first half of the 18th century onwards, and indicate that, in August 1740, there was a band in the Royal Navy called 'Charamela'.
On 3 April 1903, the 'Banda dos Marinheiros da Armada' recorded at 'Quartel do Corpo de Marinheiros', in Alcântara, what is considered to be the first album ever produced in Portugal, an extremely rare historical and phonographic document. The cover bears the royal seal and the inscription 'Gift from Maestro António Maria Chéu to King Carlos'. The recording, made by The Gramophone and Typewriter Ltd. of London, was intended to commemorate the visit of Edward VII of England to Portugal, by perpetuating one of the most notorious musical works relating to Portuguese identity - 'Cantos Populares Portuguezes nº2' by Rodriguez.
The result of the renewal and promotion efforts carried out in recent years are reflected in the great value and national and international exposure of their live performances and in the constant recording and release of CDs. In fact, over time, several composers of recognised merit and some of the best Portuguese instrumentalists, many of whom hold higher education qualifications and have an average age of 33, have belonged and continue to emerge in the Navy Band. Therefore, the future is filled with hope and a determined will to perpetuate and honour the country's cultural legacy in the Navy, through music.