Rock Paper Scissors - Puerto Plata, Mujer de Cabaret (IASO Records)

In the early part of the 20th century, the musical style known as son became all the rage not only in Cuba, but the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico as well. Performed by a trio or quartet wielding acoustic guitars and light percussion, son's lyrics told stories about the lives and loves of the people. But in the early '30s in the Dominican Republic, the infamous dictator Rafael Trujillo denounced it in favor of a watered-down ballroom-style big-band merengue, and Dominican son was forced into the shadows.

"El Señor, the dictator, made his law, and said here we must play only [Cuban] danzón, [Puerto Rican] danza and, principally, [Dominican] merengue," said José Manuel Cobles, popularly known as Puerto Plata. Cobles, who will be playing as part of globalFEST, to be held at Manhattan's Webster Hall (866-448-7849) Sunday, is a prominent purveyor of Dominican son. Last year, at age 83, Cobles released his first album, "Mujer de Cabaret (Cabaret Woman)" on IASO Records.

The album features several songs from Cobles' career, when he played at private gatherings in his adopted town of Puerto Plata, for whom he is named. His repertoire recalls a time when son and its ballad-like cousin, bolero, was international, and singers interpreted songs from all over Latin America. The title track, about a doomed affair with a woman of ill-repute, was originally popularized by a Mexican group called Los Caminantes. The lilting son guaracha "Amarrao con Fé (Tied by Faith)" was written by Cuban singer Ñico Saquito.

It was during Cobles' early days as a singer that the term "bachata" came into prominence, referring to the variety of styles that Dominican troubadours were called upon to play. "When there was a party at someone's house, they'd say so-and-so wants to hear a bachata," Cobles said. "They would play merengue, the danza and the danzón, but son was always prevalent. But I also sing bolero, even [Mexican] ranchera once in a while."

Cobles, who will play with a quintet including guitar, acoustic bass, the güira and the maracas, has been living in the United States since 1990 and recently acquired citizenship. He has been playing in Houston and Denver with musicians from Guatemala, Ecuador and Mexico, and his album features Dominican giants like Elidio Paredes and Frank Méndez. At globalFEST, he hopes to play an expanded repertoire including songs made popular by the Buena Vista Social Club and Daniel Santos.

But for Cobles, the memories of the Trujillo dictatorship remain. He recalls a time when he was arrested following the dictator's assassination in 1961. "They grabbed me on a train I was riding to collect pay from the United Fruit Company," he said. "Because I was black, like one of the suspects, they dragged me to the local precinct. I could already feel the bullets inside of me." Fortunately, the sergeant at the precinct was an old drinking buddy, and he was released.

"After the World Trade Center attacks, I wrote a song because it reminded me of what I went through in my country," Cobles said. The song, "Los Piratas," narrates current events like traditional Dominican son. "I didn't mean to say it so dramatically," he said, "but it just came out that way."

- by Ed Morales