Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny has introduced a global audience to Toñita's, the iconic Brooklyn bar also known as the Caribbean Social Club. In his latest album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS, he name-drops the beloved South Williamsburg hangout in the track "NUEVAYoL," rapping: "Un shot de cañita en casa de Toñita, ay. PR se siente cerquita." The lyrics are followed by the unmistakable sound of salsa, anchoring the moment in nostalgia, heritage, and diasporic pride.
The brand-new music video for the song, which premiered just four days ago and has already garnered over 11 million views on YouTube, features scenes shot inside the iconic Toñita's—capturing its vibrant atmosphere, colorful décor, and the unmistakable energy of a space that has long served as a cultural anchor for the Puerto Rican community in South Williamsburg.
This recent spotlight, however, isn't the first time Toñita's has been captured on film. Long before Toñita's became a lyrical touchstone for one of Latin music's biggest stars, it had already been the subject of a powerful documentary short: Toñita's (2014), co-directed by Mexican-born Sebastián Díaz and Turkish-born Beyza Boyacıoğlu. The film offers an intimate portrait of the Caribbean Social Club, one of the last vestiges of Puerto Rican cultural life in a rapidly gentrifying Williamsburg.
At the heart of the film—and of the bar—is María Antonia Cay, Toñita herself, the formidable owner and matriarch of the community, who presides over the space with warmth, pride, and a deep sense of stewardship. Through observational footage, subtle character moments, and a palpable sense of place, Toñita's captures the club as more than just a bar: it's a sanctuary for music, memory, and multigenerational belonging.
While Bad Bunny's shout-out brings new visibility to this cultural institution, Díaz and Boyacıoğlu's documentary stands as a testament to the neighborhood's history and the endurance of Caribbean social spaces in the face of relentless urban change. For those drawn in by the music, the film offers a deeper, more grounded glimpse into the world behind the lyrics.
Toñita's was part of the "Living Los Sures" project, organized by UnionDocs Center for Documentary Art—an expansive, multi-year effort to explore the Southside of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, known by its long-term Latino residents as Los Sures. Produced over five years by more than 60 artists, the project yielded 40 short films, an interactive documentary, and other multimedia components.
Díaz and Boyacıoğlu's short had its world premiere at MoMA's Documentary Fortnight, and was selected for numerous festivals, including New Orleans, Brooklyn, Morelia, San Diego Latino, and Bushwick. Yet despite its successful festival run, the film remains unavailable to the public—the filmmakers have been unable to secure the necessary funds to clear music rights for distribution.
“We made the documentary as a love letter to the Nuyorican community,” says co-director Sebastián Díaz. “We danced, drank, and talked with the regulars for months before ever bringing in a camera. By the time we started filming, people knew us, and Toñita welcomed us in. We posted notices about the project and respected anyone who didn’t want to be filmed—but nearly everyone was on board. The positive response from Toñita and the regulars at a preview screening at the club was the best validation that we had made something the community felt truly represented by.”
“The club itself hasn’t changed much,” he adds, “but the crowd has—there are a lot more young people now, and not just Latinos. We don’t know how much the documentary contributed to its popularity, but Toñita seems genuinely happy that so many new and younger folks are coming through.”
Watch the trailer for the short film:
