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Yolanda Montes

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Yolanda Montes
"Tongolele"
Montes,c. 1950s
Born
Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington

(1932-01-03)January 3, 1932(age 92)
Spokane, Washington,U.S.
Occupations
Years active1947–present
SpouseJoaquín González

Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington(born January 3, 1932),[1]better known by her stage-nameTongolele,is an American dancer, actress andvedette.

Early life

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As a child, she danced for the International Ballet of San Francisco, California as part of a TahitianRevue.[2]

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.[3]Her stage name, "Tongolele", came after mixing African and Tahitian words.[4]

Career

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Her career was sheltered by theatrical success in the main theaters and cabarets of Mexico City.Tongoleleboosted the success of the "Exoticas", a group ofvedettesthat caused sensation in Mexico in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Although other vedettes that became popular at the time (like "Kalantán", "Bongala" andSu Muy Key) appeared, 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.[4]

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 theater Folies Bergère of Mexico City. At another level of the plot, several envious people attempted to assassinate her. The film premiered on September 30, 1948.[5]

Montes in 1955

As a guest, she starred inEl rey del barrio(1949) andKill Me Because I'm Dying!(1951) and the musicalMúsica de siempre(1956).

In 1966, she returned to the cinema and appeared in the terror filmThe Panther Women.In 1968 she was in the filmEl crepusculo de un dios,directed and carried out byEmilio Fernández.[citation needed]

In 1971,Tongoleleplayed 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.Tongoleleplayed the role ofKalea,the dancer with the snake. In the mid-1960s,CBSrecorded a disc titled "Tongolele sings for you" which included 10 songs.[2]

With the rise of Mexico City's nightlife in the 1970s and the rise of the vedettes,Tongoleleresumed her career in nightclubs and movies, as well as appearing on television shows. In 1984 she debuted intelenovelasin a special performance in the melodramaLa pasión de Isabela.

In 2001 she reappears in Mexican television in the telenovelaSalomé.[citation needed]

Between 2011 and 2013, Tongolele participated in the musical stage playPerfume of Gardenia.[6]

In 2012, the vedette returned to the cinema with a brief appearance in the filmEl fantástico mundo de Juan Orol.[citation needed]

Personal life

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Tongolele,c. 1950s.

In 1956, she marriedCubanJoaquin Gonzalez 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 him, she had twins born in 1950.[2]

Filmography

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Tongolele in a publicity photograph,c. 1950s

Films

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Television

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References

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  1. ^"'Tahitians' for Latins ".Life.March 30, 1953.RetrievedAugust 28,2016.
  2. ^abc"Llega Tongolele a 78 años como la bailarina más famosa de América".
  3. ^"Por esto Yucatán: Article about the Cabaret Tivoli".
  4. ^ab"Yolanda Montez 'Tongolele' cumplirá años tras ser galardonada".January 2, 2015.
  5. ^"Tongolele en La Habana".October 18, 2019.
  6. ^"Tongolele se une a Perfume de gardenias".archivo.eluniversal.com.mx.

Bibliography

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  • Su, Margo; Leduc, Renato (1989)Alta Frivolidad(High Frivolity), México, ed. Cal y Arena,ISBN9789684931879
  • García Hernández, Arturo (1998)No han matado a "Tongolele"(They have not killed "Tongolele"), México, ed. La Jornada Ediciones,ISBN9789686719383
  • Agrasánchez Jr., Rogelio (2001)Bellezas del Cine Mexicano (Beauties of the Mexican Cinema),México, ed. Archivo fílmico Agrasánchez,ISBN968-5077-11-8
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