Indian Ocean trade Madagascar at this time leaving behind a lasting cultural and genetic legacy. Chinese fleets under Zheng He criscrossed the Indian Ocean during the early part of the 15th century. The missions were diplomatic rather than commercial, but many exchanges of gift and produces were made. The Portuguese under Vasco da Gama discovered a naval route to the Indian Ocean through the southern tip of Africa in 1497–98. Initially, the Portuguese were mainly active in Calicut, but the northern region of Gujarat was even more important for trade, and an essential intermediary in east-west trade. Venetian interests were directly threatened as
From the River to the Ocean dedicated to the late trumpeter Malachi Thompson and featuring Bankhead on piano and Drake chanting in Arabic. The title track and the closer, “Sakti/Shiva”, find Abrams moving to guimbri, a three-stringed acoustic bass associated with the Gnawa music. In his review for AllMusic, Sean Westergaard states "They might be known as avant-garde players, but this album is totally approachable and extremely soulful. "From the River to the Ocean" is not only among Anderson's finest albums to date, it has to be among the top jazz albums of 2007." The All About Jazz review by Troy Collins notes that "The resonant,