Noted actor Maldonado dead at age 83

MEXICO CITY, July 5 (UPI) -- Angel Tavira Maldonado, who earned rave reviews for his acting debut in the 2006 movie "The Violin," has died at age of 83 in Mexico City, his director said.

The Mexican-born violinist, known for his soulful performances of traditional Mexican music, earned international acclaim for his role in the Francisco Vargas Quevedo-directed film, Los Angeles Times reported Saturday.

The film, for which Maldonado won a 2006 Cannes Film Festival best actor award, featured the violinist as a farmer secretly aiding a Mexican revolution.

Vargas said Maldonado's death Monday of unspecified causes was a "loss" given the artist's focus on the music native to Mexico's Hot Lands region.

"It's an important loss because, as we all know, Don Angel was an indefatigable fighter for the music of his unforgettable region," Vargas said. "Nevertheless, all the work that he did is not in vain, and I hope that his pupils continue in this same fight in order that all the work he did over a long time is recovered and known."

The Times said Maldonado is survived by his wife, four children and two stepchildren.