A meditative portrait of Markos Vamvakaris (1905-1972), who was undoubtedly the most important figure of the classical period of the rebetiko song (1932-1940), before it opened up to wider social strata. The rebetiko, a great moment in modern Greek civilization, and correspondent in many ways to the blues of the American South, was not simply an art form, but a way of life with its own codes and values. Through the case of Markos Vamvakaris, unique, but at the same time representative of this world, the film explores what made the rebetes so special, as well as their relationship with the rest of society. The film contains rare and important documentation and audiovisual material that shed light on the socio-historic framework within which Vamvakaris moved.