On 11 January 1890, the United Kingdom issued
an ultimatum demanding that Portugal refrain from colonizing land lying between the Portuguese colonies of
Angola, on the west coast of Africa, and
Mozambique, on the east coast, thereby forming one contiguous polity (as proposed on the
Pink Map). Despite a popular uproar, the Portuguese government accepted their demands. This contributed to the unpopularity of King
Carlos I and the monarchy, and it garnered support for the increasingly popular
republican movement in Portugal. The night after the ultimatum was accepted, composer
Alfredo Keil, at the suggestion of a group of friends that included
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro and
Teófilo Braga, wrote the melody for "A Portuguesa" as a patriotic protest march. Inspired by the outrage felt by the Portuguese people, the
lyricist,
Henrique Lopes de Mendonça, accepted Keil's request to create words to suit his melody. Mendonça said "A Portuguesa" was a song "in which the fatherland's wounded soul would merge with its ambitions of freedom and revival"; he hoped it would be an anthem, embraced by the people, that could express their yearning for national vindication. Such expressions are epitomized by "
La Marseillaise", the Portuguese
fado, and "
Hino da Maria da Fonte". The march was quickly disseminated; several thousands of copies of the sheet music were freely distributed, together with fliers and posters. The song's popularity also spread across national borders, and verses were translated into other languages. On several stages in
Lisbon, "A Portuguesa" drew special attention. On 29 March 1890, the march was performed at the Great Patriotic Concert, held at the
Teatro Nacional de São Carlos (Saint Charles National Theatre), as well as at every other theatre in the capital. Beyond its use in cultural displays, "A Portuguesa" was also exploited for commercial gain. Several food products, including canned sardines and cookies, were named for this song. However, the song was perceived as a political weapon, and it was soon converted into a republican hymn. This political co-option of the theme's original meaning forced both authors to disavow this vision and stress its purely non-partisan sentiments. On 31 January 1891, a
republican rebellion broke out in the northern city of
Porto and "A Portuguesa" was adopted by the rebels as their marching song. The rebellion was crushed, and the song was banned. However, it was never forgotten, and, on 5 October 1910, a new and stronger
rebellion developed as "A Portuguesa" played in the background. A year later, the first session of the
Constituent Assembly officially proclaimed it as the national anthem. In 1956, the emergence of melodic variants of the anthem forced the government to create a committee whose aim was to define an official version. On 16 July 1957, the current version was proposed, and it was approved by the
Council of Ministers. ==Lyrics==