2. Portuguese sailors were at the vanguard of
European overseas exploration, discovering
and mapping the coasts of Africa, Asia and
Brazil, in what became known as the Age of
Discovery.
3. Vasco da Gama led the first fleet around
Africa to India, arriving in Calicut and starting
a maritime route from Portugal to India.
Soon, after reaching Brazil, explorations
proceed to southeast Asia, having reached
Japan in 1542.
4. During the history of Portugal between 1415
and 1578, Portugal discovered an eastern
route to India that rounded the Cape of Good
Hope, established trading routes throughout
most of southern Asia and sent the first direct
European maritime trade and diplomatic
missions to China and Japan.
5.
6. The Portuguese language, was in 16th – 17th –
18th centuries the trade language of the Indian
Ocean shores.
Portuguese was used, not only in the eastern
cities conquered by the Portuguese but also
by many local rulers in their relations with the
other European powers.
7. They trade sweet potatoes, maize, and
peanuts, foods that could be cultivated in
lands where traditional Chinese staple crops—
wheat, millet, and rice—could not grow. They
change sugar and spice too.
8. The Portuguese bought Chinese silk and sold it
to the Japanese in return for Japanese-mined
silver; since silver was highly valued in China,
the Portuguese could then use Japanese silver
to buy even larger stocks of Chinese silk.
9. The Portuguese being the pioneer European
nation to make prolonged contact with the
Orient, introduced new features, new musical
instruments, new textures, new forms of vocal
music and new genres of music.
10. New percussion instruments such as drums,
cymbals; new string instruments such as the
citterns, viola, violin and piano; new wind
instruments such as the trumpet and organ
were all introduced by the Portuguese to their
Asian holdings.
11. The most important influence, however,
stems from the introduction of harmony – the
combination of simultaneous notes to form
chords – a feature of Western music.
