Jennifer Lopez, who has proudly declared herself "just a girl from the Bronx", delighted fans in her old neighbourhood by appearing at a local record store to sign autographs and promote her first all-Spanish album.A crowd of 500 gathered in front of the store on Wednesday to see Lopez, who was accompanied by her husband, Marc Anthony.

"I want to say thank you to everyone for coming to celebrate with me this very special day for me," Lopez, a New Yorker of Puerto Rican origin, said in Spanish. Continuing in English, she said, "It touches my heart to be able to bring this album back to my neighbourhood, back to my home."

The album, Como Ama una Mujer, or How a Woman Love>, was released on Tuesday and was mainly produced by her husband.

Lopez has said singing in Spanish has been a career-long goal.

The 38-year-old pop singer-actress has two Hispanic-themed films coming out this year: BordertoI>, about the killings of hundreds of women in and around the city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and El Canta, starring her husband as Puerto Rican salsa singer Hector Lavoe.