A symbol of the Navy's professionalism and cultural excellence
'...And they immediately started playing four or five flutes...And the Captain-General ordered the trumpets to be played, and we danced in the boats, and the Captain-General also joined us.', in 'Diário de Vasco da Gama'.
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, also due to the manifest lack of reliable information. 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'. Its emergence coincides with one of the golden periods of music in Portugal, when the Chamber Orchestra of Queen Maria I was only surpassed, in size and quality, by that of the Pope. Regarding the first maestro of whom there is historical memory, Caetano Tozzi, all that is known is that he was Italian and a musician at the Royal Chamber.
On 27 November 1807, during the Napoleonic invasions, the 'Banda da Brigada Real da Marinha' accompanied King João VI and the Royal Family in their retreat to Brazil. Its conductor was Italian Pascoal Corvalini. In 1821, when the sovereign returned to the kingdom, only two of the musicians returned, as the others had joined the Brazilian Navy, created by King Pedro. In 1863, the 'Charanga', consisting of 27 musicians and directed by Arthur Reinhardt, accompanied King Fernando II to Bordeaux on board the Corvette 'Mindelo'. This monarch was responsible for bringing conductor Mark Holzel to Portugal to direct 20 musicians from the Naval Battalion.
In 1922, the 'Banda dos Marinheiros da Armada' joined the official journey of President António José de Almeida, on board the ship 'Porto', to take part in the celebrations of the 1st Centennial of the Independence of Brazil. They performed several times in Rio de Janeiro, with resounding success among the public and the critics, led by Captain Lieutenant (CTEN) Artur Fernandes Fão. During the 35 years he conducted it (1920-1955), the 'Banda dos Marinheiros da Armada' was mentioned in multiple Laws and Decree-Laws, which caused several changes to its name, composition, form of admission, and adjustments to the salaries of the musicians.
There were many Navy ships that used charanga ensembles and fanfare bands. One example is the 1955 trip to India on board the 'Bartolomeu Dias', which was marked by the performance of its charanga in the parade in honour of Afonso de Albuquerque, in Damão. This voyage was immortalised in the masterly description by Urbano Tavares Rodrigues, in the book 'Jornadas no Oriente'. The musical group 'Os Náuticos', which performed for the military forces stationed in the overseas provinces in the early 1970s, also remains in the memory of many. For almost two years, they toured Guinea, Cape Verde, Angola and Mozambique, on several voyages on board the merchant ship 'Vera Cruz' and in naval units.
In the early 1980s, under the direction of CTEN Manuel Maria Baltazar (1976-1987), the Navy Band gained consistent exposure in civil society, and was deservedly included in the group of the best bands in the country. The systematic contact with the general public was the beginning of a long succession of packed venues and extraordinary innovations, giving prestige to the Navy thanks to the virtuosity, dedication, and talent of its musicians. In the following decade, with Frigate Captain (CFR) José Joaquim Araújo Pereira as conductor (1987-2006), the band went on several tours in Portugal and abroad, all with great success. We highlight its performances in France, on the occasion of the 5th International Military Music Festival, and in the USA, where it participated in the 12th International Azalea Festival. In 1998, the band performed at the IPO's Diamond Jubilee and at various events during Expo 98, including two concerts applauded by thousands of people. Under the command of Frigate Captain (CFR) Carlos Silva Ribeiro (2006-2010), we highlight the performances at the 44th Musikschau der Nationen in Bremen - Germany, as well as the concert included in the 'Spring Festival' held at the large auditorium of the CCB.
In all performances, the Navy Band elevated Portuguese music, demonstrating its vocation for public service and its crucial role in preserving the Portuguese musical tradition. Therefore, in 1999, the band was awarded the Gold Medal for Distinguished Service by Admiral Chief of Staff of the Portuguese Navy (CEMA). He praised the 'remarkable performance, unsurpassed dedication and will to serve well, thanks to the professionalism and excellence of its musicians, which resulted in glory, honour and prestige for the Navy.'
Since 2011, the Navy Band has been directed by CFR Délio Alexandre Coelho Gonçalves, who, in line with his predecessors, has guided it according to high quality and efficiency standards, implementing attractive programmes of recognised technical quality, achieving significant success, and arousing the liveliest and warmest enthusiasm from the audiences.