Azucar! Sweet Memories Of Celia

She had many looks, but the voice was distinctly her own.

This week, Celia Cruz was remembered in much the same way she lived her life - with great fanfare and style.

Some fans just said, "Celia, I love you, Celia," while others would just sing her songs.

In Miami, her spiritual home away from Cuba, thousands paid their respects at "The Freedom Tower."

A fitting landmark for the singer's public viewing, the tower is where many Cuban exiles were processed by immigration officials 40 years ago. On Saturday, many came back, again, to pay tribute to the one artist who made them feel closer to their roots.

One sign read, "Thanks, Celia, for teaching me my roots."

Joe Garcia, from the Cuban American National Foundation says, "It's a place that she helped us inaugurate two years ago. When she was there, she sang a song which the title was, "Just In Case I Never Make It Home." She didn't. But she made it to the tower and today we help say goodbye to her with the tower."

Like many Cuban-Americans, Celia had dreams of returning to her country. But it was in the United States that she became an international star, a music ambassador for the entire Latino community, with the landmark chorus "Azucar," which means "Sugar."

Fans from Colombia expressed their feelings, "We are here to represent the Colombia community; we love Celia."

So did those from the Peruvian community in Miami: "She's always going to be in my heart and all the hearts of the Peruvian people."

For those born in the U.S. to Cuban parents, Celia, "was a legend and you know it in our generation and it's in our roots and we're here to represent for the American people and the Cuban."

For many Cubans, the Jesus Catholic Church was the first place they prayed in their new country. Among the family and friends inside, Gloria Estefan spoke to the crowd in the language of their beloved homeland.

"My heart will fill with pride and seeing that our culture, not only Cuban, but the Latin culture was being spread through the world, a light that represents the best of our culture through music," Gloria Estefan said.

Her husband, Emilio, added, "It's a big loss for the Cuban community; It's a big loss for everybody who loved music and she translated to every single country in the world. She's well loved and she's getting back all the respect and love that she deserves."

Cuban singer Willy Chirino said, "She left us such a wonderful legacy, she left us with great music and she's enjoying the fact that people are recognizing what she did."

Azucar!