Portuguese sailors were pioneers of European exploration in the 15th-16th centuries, discovering routes around Africa to India and establishing trade with Asia and Brazil. Vasco da Gama led the first fleet around the Cape of Good Hope to India in 1498, starting a maritime route and establishing Portuguese dominance in trade with Asia for over a century through trading posts, diplomatic missions, and colonization of parts of Asia and Brazil. The Portuguese introduced many cultural influences to Asia, including new foods, musical instruments, genres, and the use of harmony in music.