 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Yolanda Montes "Tongolele" | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Montes,c. 1950s | |
| Born | Yolanda Ivonne Montes Farrington (1932-01-03)January 3, 1932 Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | February 16, 2025(2025-02-16) (aged 93) Puebla, Mexico |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1947–2013 |
| Spouse(s) | Joaquín González (m.1956–1996, his death) |
| Children | 2 |
Yolanda Montes (January 3, 1932 – February 16, 2025), better known by her stage-nameTongolele, was a Mexican–American dancer, actress andvedette. At the time of her death, she was one of the last surviving stars from theGolden Age of Mexican Cinema.
Tongolele was born Yolanda Ivonne Montes Farrington inSpokane, Washington,[1][2] United States, in 1932.[3] As a child, she danced for the International Ballet of San Francisco, California, as part of a Tahitianrevue.[4]
In 1947, she moved to Mexico and was hired as a dancer by Américo Mancini, a theater impresario. She also appeared in the famous Cabaret Tívoli inMexico City.[5] Her stage name, "Tongolele", came from mixing African and Tahitian words.[6]
Tongolele boosted the success of theExóticas, a group ofvedettes that caused sensation in Mexico in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Although other vedettes appeared and became popular at the time (such as "Kalantán", "Bongala" andSu Muy Key), none reached the levels of popularity ofTongolele.Yolanda was baptized by Mexican journalist Carlos Estrada Lang as "The Queen of Tahitian Dances", as each night she congregated a wide male audience who adored her perfect silhouette and feline movements that marked an era in Mexico.[6]
She made her film debut in 1948 in the filmNocturne of Love, starring the actressMiroslava Stern. In 1948, she starred in the film¡Han matado a "Tongolele"!, directed byRoberto Gavaldón. The plot was developed in the Folies Bergère theater of Mexico City. At another level of the plot, several envious people attempted to assassinate her. The film premiered on September 30, 1948.[7]
As a guest, she starred inEl rey del barrio (1949) andKill Me Because I'm Dying! (1951) and the musicalMúsica de siempre (1956).
In 1971, Tongolele played in the Mexican-American co-productionIsle of the Snake People. In the film, she appeared alongside the American actorBoris Karloff. The plot of the film was located on a small island in the middle of the ocean where some beautiful young women are transformed into blue-faced man-eating zombies. Tongolele played the role ofKalea, the dancer with the snake. In the mid-1960s,CBS recorded a disc titled "Tongolele sings for you", which included 10 songs.[4]
With the rise of Mexico City's nightlife in the 1970s and the rise of the vedettes, Tongolele resumed her career in nightclubs and movies, as well as appearing on television shows. In 1984 she debuted intelenovelas in a special performance in the melodramaLa pasión de Isabela. In 2001, she reappeared on Mexican television in the telenovelaSalomé. Between 2011 and 2013, Tongolele participated in the musical stage playPerfume of Gardenia.[8]
.jpg)
In 1956, she married Cuban Joaquín González in New York City, who accompanied her until his death. In 1976, Joaquín suffered cardiac problems and he was given apacemaker. On December 22, 1996, he died. With González, she had twin sons.[4]
Montes died on February 16, 2025, at the age of 93.[9]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Other | |
