Plena is Work, Plena is Song examines the cultural and political history of the plena, a Puerto Rican musical blend of African and Spanish rhythms. The plena is a song, a form of storytelling, and a newspaper of the people that satirizes and celebrates everyday life. Developed in the early 1900s, it is considered the folk music of Puerto Rico, emerging out of the barrios as a form of oral history. Moving between Puerto Rico and New York City, the film features great performers of the past and contemporary attempts to preserve the plena.