Tongolele
| Yolanda Montes "Tongolele" | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington January 3, 1932 Spokane, Washington, United States |
| Nationality |
Mexican American |
| Occupation |
vedette Dancer Actress |
| Years active | 1947-present |
| Spouse(s) | Joaquín González |
Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington (born on January 3, 1932 in Spokane, Washington, United States), better known by her stage-name Tongolele, is a Mexican vedette and actress of American origin. She is one of the most famous dancers on the American continents.
Yolanda Yvonne Montes Farrington, was born in Spokane, Washington, United States, on January 3, 1932. Her father, Elmer Sven Móntes, descended from a Spanish father and a Swedish mother. Her mother, Edna Pearl Farrington, of English father and French mother. Her maternal grandmother, Molly (Maeva), had blood Tahitiana in her veins. Since her childhood, she discovered her passion for the dance and worked in the International Ballet of San Francisco, California as part of a Tahitian Revue.
She arrived to Mexico in 1947. She was hired as a dancer by Américo Mancini, famous theater impresario of the time. She debuted with great success in the famous Cabaret Tívoli in Mexico City. Her stage name, "Tongolele", chose her after mixing African and Tahitian words.
Her career was sheltered by theatrical success in the main theaters and cabarets of Mexico City. Tongolele boosted the success of the "Exoticas", a group of vedettes that caused sensation in Mexico in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Although other vedettes that became popular at the time (like "Kalantán" and Su Muy Key) appeared, 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.
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