Mexican musician-turned-actor Angel Tavira, who came out of nowhere in 2006 to win a best actor prize at the Festival de Cannes for his performance in "El Violin," died of a urinary tract infection. He was 83.

Tavira, a career musician hailing from the Pacific coast state of Guerrero, had no acting experience before landing the role of a rural musician who supports a guerrilla movement in Francisco Vargas' "El Violin."

Tavira surprised many when he won best actor in Cannes' Un Certain Regard sidebar. "El Violin," the only film that he ever participated in, ultimately garnered more than a dozen awards on the festival circuit.

Tavira had a remarkable musical career. As a boy, he lost his right hand in a fireworks explosion, yet he went on to become an accomplished musician and composer.