Yolanda Montes (January 3, 1932 – February 16, 2025), better known by her stage-name Tongolele, was a Mexican–American dancer, actress and vedette. At the time of her death, she was one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Mexican Cinema.

Early life

Tongolele was born Yolanda Ivonne Montes Farrington in

Spokane, Washington Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south o ...

, United States, in 1932. As a child, she danced for the International Ballet of San Francisco, California, as part of a Tahitian

revue A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...

. 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 in

Mexico City Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...

. Her stage name, "Tongolele", came from mixing African and Tahitian words.

Career

Tongolele boosted the success of the ''Exóticas'', a group of vedettes 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" and Su Muy Key), none reached the levels of popularity of ''Tongolele''. 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. She made her film debut in 1948 in the film '' Nocturne of Love'', starring the actress Miroslava Stern. In 1948, she starred in the film ''¡Han matado a "Tongolele"!'', directed by Roberto 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. As a guest, she starred in '' El rey del barrio'' (1949) and '' Kill Me Because I'm Dying!'' (1951) and the musical '' Música de siempre'' (1956). In 1971, Tongolele played in the Mexican-American co-production '' Isle of the Snake People''. In the film, she appeared alongside the American actor

Boris Karloff William Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), known professionally as Boris Karloff () and occasionally billed as Karloff the Uncanny, was a British actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film ''Frankenstei ...

. 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 of ''Kalea'', the dancer with the snake. In the mid-1960s, CBS recorded a disc titled "Tongolele sings for you", which included 10 songs. 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 in

telenovela A telenovela is a type of a television serial drama or soap opera produced primarily in Latin America. The word combines ''tele'' (for "television") and ''novela'' (meaning "novel"). Similar Drama (film and television), drama genres around the w ...

s in a special performance in the melodrama '' La pasión de Isabela''. In 2001, she reappeared on Mexican television in the telenovela '' Salomé''. Between 2011 and 2013, Tongolele participated in the musical stage play ''Perfume of Gardenia''.

Personal life and death

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 a pacemaker. On December 22, 1996, he died. With González, she had twin sons. Montes died on February 16, 2025, at the age of 93.

Filmography

Films

* '' Nocturne of Love'' (1948) *''¡Han matado a "Tongolele"!'' (1948) *'' El rey del barrio'' (1949) *'' Kill Me Because I'm Dying!'' (1951) * '' Chucho the Mended'' (1952) * '' The Mystery of the Express Car'' (1953) *''Pensión de artistas'' (1956) *'' Música de siempre'' (1956) *''The Panthera Women'' (1967) *''El crepúsculo de un Dios'' (1968) *'' Isle of the Snake People'' (1971) *''Las fabulosas del reventón'' (1981) *''Las noches del Blanquita'' (1981) *''Las fabulosas del reventón II'' (1982) *''Teatro Follies'' (1983) *'' El fantástico mundo de Juan Orol'' (2012)

Television

*'' La pasión de Isabela'' (1984) *'' Salomé'' (2001)

References

Bibliography

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

External links

*
Las Cruces Sun-News – NewsBank
April 10, 2008

April 3, 1990 {{DEFAULTSORT:Montes, Yolanda 1932 births 2025 deaths American film actresses American stage actresses American female dancers American dancers American emigrants to Mexico American vedettes Golden Age of Mexican cinema Mexican female dancers Mexican film actresses Mexican stage actresses Mexican telenovela actresses Mexican vedettes Actresses from Spokane, Washington 20th-century American actresses