Spanish singer María Mendiola has passed away, her Baccara band member has confirmed.
The star – who sang the disco classic anthem Yes Sir, I Can Boogie – died in Madrid on Saturday while surrounded by family.
She was 69-years-old at the time of her death – and heartbroken band mate Cristina Sevilla led the tributes to the chart-topping singer.
Taking to social media on Saturday, Cristina shared a photo of the late singer and issued a heartfelt tribute to her friend and colleague.
Struggling to find the words to champion her friend, Cristina wrote: "How difficult it is for me to publish this .... My dear Maria, wonderful artist, but for me above all ... My friend, she left us today.
"Words cannot come out ... I can only thank so much love for how I have received from you and tell you what so many times I had the opportunity to say to you in life .... I love you."
She added a trio of red-heart emojis to her post and the picture was met with condolences from fans and followers.
The band Baccara was founded in 1977 between Maria and another singer called Mayte Mateos.
The pair were flamenco dancers and drew attention after entertaining tourists on the island of Fuerteventura before being signed to RCA Records in the UK.
Yes Sir, I Can Boogie was released in 1977 and top the charts across Europe – including in the UK – and selling an at-the-time record breaking 16 millions copies.
The song recently came back into the spotlight when it was adopted by the Scottish international football team as an unofficial anthem for the2020 UEFA European Football Championship – which was played over the summer of 2021.
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The song was welcomed by Scotland supporters after a video of players dancing enthusiastically to the track went viral – while Aberdeen player had brought the song back to the fore the year before after being filmed singing and dancing to the song on his stag do while dressed in drag.
María had expressed her surprise and joy at the song becoming a hit again, with the BBC quoting her saying: "I never thought I'd be in the charts again. I am not young any more but I guess it shows I can still boogie.
"The Scotland team has reminded people we exist, which is very nice."
María family also released a statement about her death on Saturday which read: "She will always be remembered for her love, dedication and respect for the world of music and interpretation. We will always remember her smile."
