The sound that established the career of 83-year-old Jose Manuel Cobles lies buried beneath layers of musical and political history. His stage name, Puerto Plata, refers to the resort town where he was born. But Cobles made his mark in La Joya, the storied red-light district of Santiago, one of the Dominican Republic's largest cities.

In the late '40s, when he got his start, Puerto Plata's signature style was son. Son is typically associated with Cuba, but it can be heard all through the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. Dominican son was overshadowed because that country's notorious dictator, Rafael Trujillo, preferred merengue, effectively making it the national music by the time of his assassination in 1961. It's no surprise, then, that Puerto Plata also cranks out a mean merengue.

Puerto Plata is the only surviving member of his original group, Trio Primavera. But he's pulled together an impressive ensemble of veterans for a twilight-years release, a long-overdue solo debut called Mujer de Cabaret. The two lead guitarists provide the real fireworks: Edilio Paredes and his protégé, Frank Mendez, drive Mujer de Cabaret.

A song called "Los Piratas" functions as Puerto Plata's response to the Sept. 11 attacks. Merengue tradition has always called for commentary on contemporary events, even from musicians whose mission is to revive the sound and spirit of the past. Mujer de Cabaret is Afro-Latin roots music at its best: passionate, brisk, and, coming from an all-but-forgotten octogenarian, delightfully unexpected.

- by Banning Eyre