Kinshasa's ghettos are filled with poverty but also with a remarkable amount of talent. People of every age use music to transcend their environment. Jupiter Bokondji, leader of the band Okwess International, takes the audience on a musical tour of Kinshasa, Congo's capital. Along the way, he introduces viewers to the city's musicians -- young and old, hip-hop, blues and griot singers -- and relates his own struggle to escape his surroundings.