In the town of Cascadu, Trinidad, the 1970 Black Power rebellion has failed. Sonnyboy, hapless and luckless, is desperate to be recognised as part of the rebellion and forces the uninterested police to arrest him. KingKala, a singer, returns from detention and is sidelined in the calypso tent, his music dated and unfashionable.
In Trinidad the martial arts dancer, Aldrick Prospect, fights the commercialization of the Mardi Gras carnival. Sick to see the country's traditions destroyed-- warrior contests have been replaced by games for tourists-- he joins a coup d'etat, serves a stint in jail and never dances again.