The ashes of legendary Mexican singer Juan Gabriel arrived in Ciudad Juarez Saturday from the United States, where he lived and died last week at the age of 66.
Tens of thousands of people gathered on the Mexican side of the border city — where the ashes were delivered to his house on 16 de  Septiembre avenue — and sang one of his emblematic songs that includes the lyrics: “So I’m still in the usual place, in the same city and with the same people.”
Authorities estimated more than 40,000 people attended the commemoration in Ciudad Juarez.
In Mexico City opposite the Palacio de las Bellas Artes — the country’s major cultural centre — followers have improvised a memorial and a national tribute to the singer is slated today.
The singer, known as the “Divo of Juarez,” died of a heart attack last Sunday at his home in Santa Monica, California during a break in his latest tour.
One of the most important composers and singers of the Spanish-speaking world, Gabriel wrote some 1,800 songs, all registered under his given name Alberto Aguilera Valadez.
An old-school idol some liken to Mexico’s Elvis Presley, he was a balladeer and a movie star who held on through decades of artistry.
He had a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was still on the list of music industry high-earners thanks to his touring.