The story follows an African-American man Banjo, who spend his time on the streets of Marseilles, dreaming of forming his band while playing banjo. His adventures are described as a chaotic stream of events on the streets, his meeting and falling in love with a middle-eastern woman called Latnah and continuously looking for places to play.
The novel describes the lives of the American seaman whose meeting is the port area of Marseilles. As the subtitle suggests, there is no clear plot to the novel; it is more of a picturesque description of the racial variety that passes through the port, as well as individual stories and adventures of Banjo’s crew, which includes Bugsy, Dengel, Ginger and Malty. Banjo is an African American, speaking in a southern dialect, having served in a Canadian army and convinced of coming from a foreign heritage. It is clear that there is a confusion when it comes to Banjo’s identity and when he meets Ray, the poet, Banjo begins to contemplate his background and identity, especially his African heritage.
Towards the end the crew begins to notice a shift in the atmosphere on the port area of Marseilles, influenced by the dominance of the white presence. At the end, Banjo sets out to board a ship to the Caribbean, but changes at the last moment, deciding to not give up on his music dream.
