Ninón Sevilla Dies: Cuban 'Aventurera' Rumbera Actress Dead At 93 Following Cardiac Arrest

Ninón Sevilla has died at the age of 93 at a hospital in México City. The Cuban actress had been admitted to a hospital since last Friday following problems with her pancreas and liver. Her state was very delicate and it had been rumored she was fighting cancer. It was today, January 1 that the actress went into cardiac arrest and lost her life. Her son Genaro Lozano confirmed the news of her passing saying, "I was arriving at the hospital, I was happy and they gave us that news, she had passed away, it was cardiac arrest." The Cuban producer Federico Wilkins also confirmed the news on his Twitter account. "At 3:45pm Ninón Sevilla died with a Cuban passport," he wrote. "Goodbye Elena Tejero."

Emilia Pérez Castellanos, Ninón's birth name, rose to fame during the Golden Age of Cinema in México with the so-called rumberas-films. Wilkins was referring to the lead character of "Aventurera," which in recent years was taken to stage with actresses like Edith Gonzalez, Itatí Cantoral, Niurka Marcos and Ninel Conde. Wilkins followed later confirming that the wake for Sevilla would be held at the Gallosa De Félix Cuevas Funeral. He also wrote, "With the death of Ninón Sevilla we only have two rumberas left, Rosa Carmina and Amalia Aguilar. Tongolele danced Tahitian." Other movies that she participated in included "Revancha," "Sensualidad," "Aventura En Rió" and "Yambao."

Sevilla was also known as a telenovela actress and made her debut in 1964 with "Juicio De Almas" that starred Ofelia Guilmaín and Miguel Manzano. It wasn't until 1984 that saw her return to the genre with "Tú Eres Mi Destino," "Rosa Salvaje" (1987), "Cuando Llega El Amor" (1989) and "Yo No Creo En Los Hombres" (1991). Other telenovelas included "María La Del Barrio" (1995), "La Usurpadora" (1997), "Rosalinda" (1999) and "Tres Mujeres" (1999). Later appearances included guest starring roles in "Central De Abasto" and "Como Dice El Dicho," with her last telenovela role in "Que Bonito Amor" in 2012.