In a new British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service radio documentary "A Short History of Five Notes", music journalist Rita Ray relates the story of a five-note rhythm that has changed musical history.

The five notes go by many names in different countries and although their origins lie in West Africa, they have traveled back and forth across the Atlantic. In most cases they form a powerful underlying rhythm which is repeated throughout a song during a performance: a group of three beats, answered by another two beats, followed by three beats, answered by two beats and so on.

The five notes surfaced in the 1950s in the United States, where they became associated with one of the founding fathers of rock & roll, BO DIDDLEY. The BO DIDDLEY beat injected the five notes into the heartbeat of rock & roll and reflect Cuban and New Orleans influences on BO DIDDLEY's music.

In the program, Eric Burdon of The Animals and funk/blues drummer John "Jabo" Starks, former drummer for James Brown, discuss how the BO DIDDLEY beat became an important influence on black music in the decade that followed, particularly in soul and funk, and a defining influence for many British rock acts, including The Rolling Stones and The Animals.

Listen to the documentary "A Short History of Five Notes" here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/documentaries/2011/02/110209_short_history_five_notes.shtml