New York, (EFE).- Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny paid tribute to María Antonia Cay, affectionately known as Toñita, during his Super Bowl halftime show. Toñita is the cherished proprietor of the Caribbean Social Club, one of the last remaining Puerto Rican social clubs in New York.
During the performance, the octogenarian (who is instantly recognizable with her platinum blonde hair and large rings) serves Bad Bunny a shot, a clear nod to the lyrics of his song ‘NUEVAYoL’, which says: “Un shot de cañita en casa de Toñita” (a shot of rum at Toñita’s house).
“Thank you, Benito, for the invitation you gave us. We had a really great time. And thank God we saw you and got to share with you. May God bless you and may you continue to succeed,” Toñita said in an Instagram story after participating in the show. She also shared photos with Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga, the artists who performed with Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio on Sunday.
The bar set where Toñita worked during the show was named ‘Conejo’ (Rabbit), but it featured the same address as the iconic Brooklyn club: “244 Grand St”.
The venue is such an emblematic New York institution that, to celebrate its 50th anniversary in the summer of 2024, Grand Street was closed, and multiple stages and stalls with free food were set up, reflecting the club’s tradition of always offering free homemade food to its customers.
That event was so successful that the city decided to make the celebration official and turn it into an annual gathering.
After leaving Puerto Rico, Toñita opened her business in “Los Sures,” a historically working-class Puerto Rican neighborhood in South Williamsburg (Brooklyn) in the 1970s.
However, due to gentrification (the average price for a studio apartment rental in this neighborhood now hovers around $4,000) local businesses owned by Latinos are becoming increasingly scarce in the area.
Toñita has repeatedly stated that she rejected various multi-million dollar offers from real estate developers interested in buying her location, affirming that her club will remain a safe haven for the city’s Latinos, where people can buy beers for three dollars, eat for free, play dominoes and pool, and dance.
In 2022, Bad Bunny celebrated the launch of his acclaimed summer album “Un Verano Sin Ti” at the Caribbean Social Club, and last year he brought Toñita with him for an interview on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
In 2021, Madonna and Maluma spent time at the club for a Rolling Stone cover feature.
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