Tongolele

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 27
PROGRAM #10698 11:00 AM PT

Extra Edition: Tongolele. 

Iconic Mexican dancer and actress Tongolele passed away at 93. Born as Yolanda Montes in Spokane, WA, Tongolele broke into stardom at a young age by blending Tahitian and Afro-Cuban dance rhythms. Línea Abierta features a repeat of a program originally aired on September 9, 1998. In this interview, Tongolele talks about her early days as a dancer, her rise as a star during the golden age of Mexican cinema, and her work with Benny Moré and other iconic Cuban musicians. The program also includes views from the author of a biographical book recently published in Mexico, and from Mexican writer and journalist Cristina Pacheco, who remembered how while still a girl, she and her friends were scolded by parents for trying to imitate Tongolele’s trademark “belly dancing.”

Guests: Yolanda Montes “Tongolele,” Mexican Cinema and Dance Icon; Cristina Pacheco, Mexican Journalist; Arturo García Hernández, Author of the Book “No Han Matado a Tongolele,” Mexico City.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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