Stripping History: Tongolele
Added 2021-10-07 18:50:08 +0000 UTCHispanic Heritage Month ends on October 15th, so I'm moving right along and talking today about Tongolele. She was born Yolanda Montes on January 3rd, 1932 in Spokane, WA. Her father was Spanish and her mother was Swedish. Her maternal grandmother was Tahitian. This earned her the nickname, "The Queen of the Tahitian Dances." She moved to Mexico in 1947 and began her dancing career. While not technically a "burlesque" dancer, because she didn't do striptease, she was a vedette.
She's still alive at 89 years old. I found a couple of videos of her dancing, including one from just a few years ago. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SD9pBdTiAc&t=15s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsPSqOUv1dw
Comments
One of my heroes. Well known in Puerto Rico. Heard so many stories about Tongolele from my parents. Blessed Be
Jose Rivera
2021-10-07 21:31:59 +0000 UTCAmazing
Dave Mullenax
2021-10-07 20:10:07 +0000 UTC
