"A Portuguesa" (The Portuguese Song) - click here to listen

Words by: Henrique Lopes de Mendonça
Music by: Alfredo Keil
Adopted: 1910

At the end of the 19th century, "A Portuguesa," was written by the Republicans, upset over the British ultimatum to Portugal regarding Africa. There were protests everywhere against the monarchy, and, as a result, "A Portuguesa" could be heard anywhere and became extremely popular. The song still echoes the original intent. The verses and especially the chorus speak of a call to arms, the third verse speaks of "insults" and "embarrassment" (which is how the Portuguese saw the British ultimatum) and the original last line of the chorus read "Contra os bretões marchar, marchar" (Against the British we march, we march!). With the success of the Republicans in ousting the monarchy and replacing them with a democratic government, "A Portuguesa" was approved as a national anthem shortly after 1911.

In 1956, there were a number of variations of the anthem, not just in its melodic line but also in the instrumentation. Recognizing this, the government named a commission charged with determining the official version of "A Portuguesa." This commission prepared a proposal which, approved by the Council of Ministers on 16 July 1957, remains in effect to this day. The one glaring change was the word "bretões" which was replaced by "canhões" (cannons).