- A black British dockworker named Johnny Zinga becomes a famous singer and learns that he is the rightful king of the African island of Casanga.
- On the island of Casanga off the west coast of Africa in 1700, the people suffer oppression from cruel Queen Zinga [Cornelia Smith]. In a jungle ceremony a man who has tried to overthrow Zinga has been tied up. She tells him he can be king for one minute before he dies and places a large medallion around his neck. A young girl runs to Zinga to try and stop the ceremony but as she is pushed away she grabs the medallion and runs into the jungle with Zinga's son, chased by several men armed with spears. After a long chase, the couple reach the coast and make their escape to the mainland in a boat. On the mainland they meet some slave traders and ask to be taken with them, so they are put on the boat to England.
Over the years the medallion is passed down through the generations and eventually becomes the property of Johnny Zinga [Paul Robeson], a dock worker in London in 1936 who possesses an outstanding singing voice.
Italian opera producer Gabriel Donozetti [Esme Percy] arrives in London and overhears Johnny's singing as he passes in his car. Donozetti thinks a singer with a voice that good could be a star but loses sight of Johnny in the crowds.
In a pub with his co-workers, Johnny meets man who is sailing for Africa the next day. Later at home with his wife Ruth [Elisabeth Welch] he pines for Africa and wishes he could go there to his roots. Despite having a happy life in London, Johnny feels a part of him belongs in Africa.
Donozetti wants to find the singer he overheard so he and his pianist Blane [Ronald Simpson] go to the docks to search for him. They are directed to a nearby pub where Johnny is singing. Donozetti offers him a career as a singer and asks him and Ruth to come to his hotel the following day.
In his hotel room Donozetti starts to teach Johnny to sing but Johnny does not like being told what to do and becomes angry. However, when Donozetti and Ruth convince him he can become rich and travel, Johnny sees his opportunity and agrees to continue with the training. He becomes a successful professional singer.
At the end of one show he is supposed to make a speech but sings a song solo about freedom instead. One of the audience members, Sir James Pyrie [Bernard Ansell] comes back stage after the show to meet Johnny. Pyrie explains he is an explorer and anthropologist and asks Johnny where the song is from as it stirs memories in him. Johnny explains he was born in London and does not know but shows Pyrie the medallion he always wears. Pyrie then remembers he heard the song in Casanga and tells Johnny the story about Zinga's son running away and that Johnny could be a direct royal descendant and king of Casanga. Donozetti wants Johnny to go to New York but in light of this news, Johnny wants to go back to his people in Casanga.
Johnny and Ruth travel to Casanga with Johnny's valet Monty [Robert Adams]. Johnny tells the Casanga natives he is Zinga their king and shows them the medallion. They are not impressed but take him to their village. Everything is very primitive in the village but Johnny and Ruth are determined to help. Johnny sees sick people in one hut and tries to help with medicines they have brought with them but is unsuccessful. Johnny tells one of the more accepting natives, Mandingo [Ecce Homo Toto], how he can help but Mandingo warns him about going against their customs and how he will never be accepted as king. The natives believe in ancient rituals and superstitions which Johnny tries to stop. He argues with the native leader and witch doctor [James Solomon] about their respective beliefs. That night Johnny agrees to attend another one of the rituals, to the concern of Ruth and Monty who think it may be a trap, but Johnny says he will respect their customs this time. However, when Ruth arrives, Johnny and Ruth are tied up and incarcerated since it is forbidden for a woman to view the ritual.
The next day Ruth is taken for execution and Johnny is forcibly taken to witness the natives' justice. The witch doctor forces Johnny to sit in the king's seat and tells him their ancient laws must be obeyed. Will he sentence Ruth to death as their true king should? Instead, Johnny starts to sing the song of freedom which the natives believe no outsider would have heard, proving he is descended from the same people as them. Ruth is released and they are finally accepted.
Once a year, Johnny returns to London from Casanga to sing publicly in Donozetti's shows to raise money for his people.
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