YOLANDA “TONGOLELE” MONTES

Born in 1932, Tongolele is an exotic dancer and actress in Mexico. She was a principal exotic dancer in her home country and featured in many films between the 1940s and the 1980s. She was considered an icon in the golden age of dance cinema and nicknamed the “Queen of Rumba”.

Tongolele made her professional debut as a dancer in 1947 at the Tivoli Theatre in Mexico. Her most iconic film was the 1971 classic Isle of the Snake People. She is still involved in acting and film production to this day.

Earlier this year she was honoured for the her role in Mexican pop culture through theatre, cabaret, dance and film for the past 65 years.