Mexican singer and actress Irma Serrano, known as "La Tigresa," achieved Latin celebrity status after playing roles in the 1971 movie La Martina, directed by René Cardona Jr., and 1973's La Tigresa. In the traditional Mexican music field, her songs "El Ausente," "El Amor de la Paloma," and "Cariño Santo" became local classics. In the 1990s, Serrano established herself as one of the most controversial politicians in Mexico. As a writer, her outspoken stories have been published in the books Sin Pelos En La Lengua and A Calzón Amarrado. ~ Drago Bonacich