Karlon, born in Pedreira dos Húngaros (a slum in the outskirts of Lisbon) and a pioneer of Cape Verdean creole rap, runs away from the housing project to which he had been relocated.

Nights of vigil are spent under a sweltering tropical heat. Among the sugarcanes, a rumour emerges—Karlon hasn’t stopped singing.

High Cities of Bone is a stark, steady and humane exploration of Karlon’s memories and institutional sieges, unearthing stories from a dark time.