Tongolele, iconic Mexican actress and dancer, dies at 93

Dancer and actress Tongolele, whose sensual persona made her an icon of Mexican cinema's golden age, has died. She was 93.

Mexico's secretary of culture confirmed Tongolele's death on Monday in a tribute post on X. A cause of death was not disclosed.

"Her stage presence and unique style established her as a reference in Mexican entertainment. Rest in peace," the post, written in Spanish, read.

Representatives for Tongolele were not available for comment at the time of publication.

Born Yolanda Ivonne Montes Farrington in Spokane, Washington, Tongolele got her start dancing in San Francisco nightclubs as a teen before moving to Mexico City as a cabaret performer, according to her biography on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA website.

"I never thought, 'I want to be famous.' I just wanted to dance," Tongolele reflected in a 2014 interview with The Associated Press. "I didn't even realize that I was a star of the show, I didn't even know I was successful, I was just happy dancing."

Tongolele, whose stage name drew inspiration from African and Tahitian dance styles, made her cinematic debut in the 1948 dramas "Nocturno de Amor" and "La Mujer del Otro."

Her breakthrough role came later that year in "Han Matado a Tongolele," a musical crime thriller starring Tongolele alongside David Silva and Manuel Arvide.

Paquita La Del Barrio dies: Famed Mexican songstress was 77

Tongolele would go on to appear in several films throughout the 1950s, including 1950's "The King of the Neighborhood," 1951's "Mátenme Porque Me Muero," 1953's "Había Una Vez un Marido" and 1954's "Detective."

Tongolele also pushed boundaries with her provocative style. The entertainer's seductive dancing and risqué wardrobe earned criticism from Mexico's Legion of Decency, per the Academy, which led to fewer film roles in the late '50s.

Despite landing major roles in "The Panther Women" (1967) and "Isle of the Snake People" (1971), Tongolele took a hiatus for the remainder of the '70s, returning to showbiz in 1982 with her performance in "Las Fabulosas del Reventón."

Tongolele joined the telenovela world in the early 2000s with a role on the Televisa series "Salomé," which starred Edith González, Guy Ecker and María Rubio. In a seeming nod to her early career, Tongolele played Yolanda, a cabaret owner.

More celebrity deaths: South Korean actress Kim Sae-ron dies at 24

Tongolele's final role was a cameo in the 2012 biopic "El Fantástico Mundo de Juan Orol."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tongolele dead: Iconic Mexican actress and dancer was 93