RIO DE JANEIRO, Jan 20 ― The singer of Latin pop hit La Lambada, Loalwa Braz, was found dead yesterday in a burned-out car in her native Brazil, police and media said.

Braz, 63, provided the sensual lead vocals for the international hit song released by French group Kaoma in 1989.

A police official told AFP that firefighters found Braz in the coastal town of Saquerema near Rio de Janeiro.

Brazilian media said firefighters were called to the singer's home and found her body totally burned inside the car.

News site G1 citing police said armed men had been seen near her home during the night but it was too soon to say whether they were linked to Braz's death.

Braz's parents were both musicians and she started out in the profession herself at the age of 13.

She performed with Brazilian greats such as Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso.

She lived in France for several years in the 1980s. Her hit song featured in an advert for the soft drink Orangina.

"It is sad. She was a warm and likeable person,” said another Brazilian singer who knew her, Ricardo Vilas.

"But she was also fragile and suffered a lot of difficulties” with the taxman and an abusive husband, Vilas told AFP. ― AFP