Sons of Portugal Band

Our History

The Sons of Portugal Band began rehearsing at the end of 1939 and was officially formed in 1940.  Fortunato Rodrigues Neves was the first conductor of the band and he led the band for the first time in public on May 30, 1941.  In 1944, the band disbanded due to the U.S. involvement in World War II.  Shortly after the war, in 1947, Joaquim Rodrigues pulled together the musicians and recruited a new conductor, Victor Capellano, who conducted until 1958.  Sebastian 'Sebbie' Francisco was next in line as conductor, and as conductor, he led the band through its greatest era.  Mr. Rodrigues remained administrative director until 1962, at which point, Mr. Joaquim 'Jack' Moreno took over as administrative director.  Under the leadership of Mr. Moreno and Mr. Francisco, the band won numerous awards and was considered one of the best bands in the area