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Toñita Fest Returns as Caribbean Social Club Marks 51 Years: ‘It’s Important to Bring People Together’

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Brooklyn’s Caribbean Social Club, one of the last surviving Puerto Rican social clubs in the city, will host its second annual Toñita Fest on Sunday (June 22). The festival marks the club’s 51st anniversary and the legacy of María Antonia Cay — better known as Toñita — whose contributions over five decades have elevated her to a revered figure in Williamsburg’s Latin community.

The event will feature a lineup of artists representing a variety of styles, including bomba and plena, Afro-Caribbean group Daso and Grupo Cemi, Latin Grammy winner La Lulu, and salsa orchestra The Anonima Orchestra. Additionally, there will be a domino tournament paying tribute to the club’s roots. The festival, organized with the help of the nonprofit La Gesta Inc., builds on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which drew over 4,000 attendees from across the city.

Yet behind the exuberance of the festival lies a quiet reflection on what it means to preserve dwindling cultural spaces like Toñita’s amid the gentrification of Williamsburg. “It’s very important to bring people together from all walks of life,” she tells Billboard Español at the venue. “Whenever [the locals] come in, it’s like they’re at my home. They feel good and happy.”

In 1973, Toñita founded the Caribbean Social Club as a gathering spot for the Puerto Rican baseball team she managed. “The club started because the baseball league didn’t have a place to get together. Mommy created the space where that could be possible for us,” Toñita’s daughter, Sylvia Rosado, says.

Dominoes, beer and music shaped its laid-back atmosphere. Over time, the club grew into something much bigger — not just a place for intergenerational gatherings but a resource for addressing community needs like hunger and displacement.

“The amount of food that we’re cooking now daily — because we cook daily for the people who are less fortunate — is astounding,” Rosado added as she spoke about her mother’s ongoing impact. Fifty-one years later, those same elements endure, though Williamsburg’s demographic changes have significantly diminished cultural spaces like Toñita’s.

Toñita & Bad Bunny

Gabriel Hernández Solano

Although Toñita’s mission has always been centered around community, fame has recently found her. In 2022, superstar Bad Bunny visited the club on Residente’s recommendation. In 2025, Bunny name-dropped her in his song “NuevaYol” from his album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. She was also invited to celebrate the Puerto Rico-themed album on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon alongside then co-host Bunny. Toñita’s reaction to the superstar’s recognition was, as always, understated: “It was immensely joyful, and I’m happy. I hope it can happen again,” she says.

Over the years, artists like Rauw Alejandro, J Balvin, Nicky Jam, and Guaynaa have also visited this iconic Williamsburg space, drawn by its authenticity and cultural significance. However, for Toñita, celebrity visits pale in comparison to the satisfaction of seeing her club continue to thrive decade after decade, expanding its legacy through events like Toñita Fest.

Giovanni González, the creator and director of Toñita Fest who also founded La Gesta, added: “This is one of the last social clubs left in Williamsburg. It’s a real effort to make this place thrive in such a small space. But just like Puerto Rico, size doesn’t matter — it’s the heart and energy of the people that make it what it is.”

Emerging Mexican singer-songwriter emjay, who will be performing in the U.S. for the first time at Toñita Fest, shared her excitement about being part of the event: “It’s a true honor. To be considered so that New York’s Latin community can get to know my music, and especially at such an incredible event like Toñita’s, is amazing.”

As Williamsburg continues to transform, Toñita’s Caribbean Social Club stays rooted in its purpose — but for how long? Toñita herself insists she doesn’t dwell on legacy, stating, “Memories are memories; I don’t place too much emphasis on them,” though her longevity speaks for itself. For this year’s attendees, the festival represents far more than just music or dominoes; it’s a reminder of the importance of preserving the spaces that keep Latin identity alive in New York.

Rauw Alejandro & Toñita

Rauw Alejandro & Toñita

Gabriel Hernández Solano

Guayna & Toñita

Guayna & Toñita

Gabriel Hernández Solano

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Myke Towers & Quevedo Set Charts Ablaze With ‘Soleao’

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Myke Towers and Quevedo propel “Soleo” to the top of Billboard’s Latin Airplay chart as the song jumps a spot to No. 1 on the list dated Aug. 9.

Their first collab, “Soleao” (which translates to “sunny” in English), was released May 20 on One World International/Warner Records/Warner Latina. It leads the way in its ninth chart week, after an 11% growth in audience impressions, to 9.1 million, across U.S. panel-contributing Latin radio stations in the tracking week of July 25-31, according to Luminate.

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Towers claims his 15th Latin Airplay champ, and third consecutively of 2025, after one-week rulers “Otra Noche,” featuring Darell (February), and “Degenere,” featuring Benny Blanco (May).

Further, Towers adds to his satchel of wins as he accomplishes a third trio of No. 1s in a single year. Rewind to 2021, when (after landing two early chart-toppers, for that matter) the Puerto Rican delivered a streak of three straight No. 1s: “Bandido,” with Juhn; “Pareja del Año,” with Sebastián Yatra; and “Bésame,” with Luis Fonsi, that June, August and November, respectively. In 2024, Towers replicated the success with another trio of consecutive No. 1s: “Borracho y Loco,” with Yandel; “La Falda”; and “La Capi,” between that February and May.

Meanwhile, Quevedo makes a comeback to No. 1 on Latin Airplay. He previously led, for four weeks, with “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 52,” with Bizarrap, in 2022.

Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “Soleao” likewise lifts 2-1 on Latin Pop Airplay. There, Towers tallies a third No. 1 and Quevedo, his first. Further, the song adds a second week atop Latin Rhythm Airplay.

Banda Carnaval Ignites Regional Mexican Airplay: Elsewhere on the Latin charts, Banda Carnaval secures its eighth No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay, and second of the year, as “Ya La Hice” bounds 9-1 with 6.6 million audience impressions, up 47%, in the tracking week. The act’s “Pude” led for a week in March.

“We are deeply grateful to our fans for taking ‘Ya La Hice’ to No. 1 on Billboard’s Regional Mexican Airplay chart,” Banda Carnaval tells Billboard. “This song represents a very special moment for us, and seeing it connect with people in this way fills us with pride and emotion. Thank you to everyone who has made it their own, to the composers for this great story, and to our team who continues to believe in our music. Let’s go all the way with Síganme Tirando!”

“Ya La Hice” earns Greatest Gainer honors, awarded to the song with the largest week-over-week increase in impressions at the format. Leading the charge during the tracking period are Univision stations, with standout support from KSCA-FM Los Angeles, KLNO-FM Dallas, and WOJO-FM Chicago.

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Ice Cube’s ‘War of the Worlds’ Film Has a 0% Rating on ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ & Cube’s Son Is Weighing In

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Ice Cube‘s latest movie is off to a slow start on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes. According to 15 critics (and counting), War of the Worlds so far has a zero percent rating on the Tomatometer scale, while thousands of moviegoers have given it at 14 percent rating on the Popcornmeter.

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One review in particular, from Variety‘s Peter Debruge knocked the film for essentially doubling as a commercial for Amazon, writing, “Even with a Prime subscription, you have to sit through two minutes of ads to watch 90 more of what amounts to a feature-length commercial for all things Amazon,” while another from The Telegraph‘s Ed Power wasn’t really into all the screen time Cube got, saying, “It is silly, shoddy and features far too much of rapper-turned-leading man Ice Cube staring at a computer screen while looking as if he’s working through a reasonably urgent digestive ailment.”

An adaptation of H. G. Wells’ classic 1898 novel The War of the Worlds, this version is an Amazon Prime production directed by Rich Lee and also starring Eva Longoria. Cube plays Will Radford, a surveillance expert at the Department of Homeland Security, and most of the movie takes place on his computer screen as he deals with a hacker and an alien invasion while trying to keep his family out of harm’s way.

The synopsis on Prime Video reads as follows: “A gargantuan invasion is coming with this fresh take on the legendary novel of the same name. Renowned actress Eva Longoria is joined by iconic rapper and actor Ice Cube, along with Michael O’Neill and Iman Benson, for a thrilling out-of-this-world adventure that is filled with present-day themes of technology, surveillance, and privacy.”

Cube’s son, actor O’Shea Jackson Jr., replied to a tweet on X of a video clip from the movie in which an Amazon Prime delivery person tells Cube’s character to cop a USB from Amazon, so he can deliver it via Prime Air with a drone. “I truly can’t believe this adaptation of War Of The Worlds is actually a real film with a real budget and Ice Cube is actually in it,” a fan posted, with Jackson replying that the movie was “Shot during the pandemic. Released 5 years later.”

Billboard has reached out to Ice Cube’s team for comment.

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Cara Lewis Group Hires Ashley Ventura, Who Will Bring Bhad Bhabie & More to the Agency

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Cara Lewis Group (CLG) has hired agent Ashley Ventura, who will bring her clients to the independent agency.

“CLG is an obvious fit for her talents,” said founder/CEO Cara Lewis in a statement. “The entire Cara Lewis Group team is thrilled to have her as a valued addition. We look forward to continuing our mantra of artist development, creating stars and long lasting careers.”

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Ventura has worked as an agent in the hip-hop and R&B space for more than five years, previously working at MAC Agency. A press release announcing her hire described her as a “proven” leader and “one of the newest, most exciting agents in the industry.”

“I’m thrilled to be joining the Cara Lewis Group and to continue pushing culture forward alongside such a respected team,” added Ventura. “This new chapter marks an exciting step in my journey, and I’m looking forward to building with incredible artists and creating what’s next.”

Ventura will be bringing a number of talented artists to the CLG roster, including hip-hop icon French Montana and reality TV star and rapper Bhad Bhabie. Her other clients include Atlanta rapper Anycia, Bay Swag, Bktherula, Gashi, K Camp and Kentheman, all of whom are following her to CLG.

CLG’s roster currently includes Eminem, Travis Scott, Khalid, Don Toliver, Clipse, The Roots, Russ, Jill Scott, Ludacris, Ice Spice, BIA and Erykah Badu. Lewis is one of the most successful independent agents in hip-hop, having spent more than 20 years at William Morris as a partner, where she built the urban-pop division before joining CAA’s music department.

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