Fans with red blazers, ties and half-buttoned white dress shirts shuffled into BMO Stadium to experience the reunification of beloved Mexican telenovela pop group RBD.
Seventeen years after their first U.S. performance, RBD returned to Los Angeles to close out their U.S. leg of the Soy Rebelde tour. RBD made BMO Stadium history with four consecutive sold-out nights, according to a representative from Live Nation.
“It took us around eight years to make this happen,†said band member Christopher von Uckermann.
Von Uckermann played the role of Diego Bustamante on the “Rebelde†show, which first aired in 2005. The Mexican teen drama was a hit across Latin America. The telanovela was a remake of a 2002 Argentine show of the same name.
“There were four band members in Argentina and they played in different markets like Israel or Egypt. They had followers in different parts of the world, but I believe Mexicans have that magic,†Von Uckermann said.
The common thread throughout the show, besides its cheeky unpredictability, was a love of music among a group of students who formed a band called Rebelde, better known as RBD.
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The band’s popularity extended beyond the walls of its fictional private school, Elite Way, and though other remakes of the show existed in India, Portugal, Chile, Brazil and Greece, none were as successful as the Mexican remake. It even surpassed its Argentine predecessor in popularity.
Made up of members Von Uckermann, AnahÃ, Maite Perroni, Dulce MarÃa, Christian Chávez and Alfonso Herrera, the group recorded music in Spanish, English and Portuguese. In their five years together, the band released a total of nine studio albums with some receiving multiple gold, platinum and diamond certifications.
“Rebelde is a phenomenon,†Von Uckermann said.
While members parted ways, embarking on their own individual singing and acting careers, Von Uckermann felt that the journey was not over.
“I think it was part of destiny, to be honest. All the massive [fan] energy wanted us to perform live [again],†said Von Uckermann.
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The energy to reunite was reportedly sparked by the group’s album availability on streaming platforms.
On Sept. 3, 2020, Spotify announced that RBD’s music would be available for streaming after a licensing issue was resolved by RBD manager Guillermo Rosas.
In an interview with Billboard, the group revealed that they got together on Zoom during the pandemic to discuss the possibility of a reunion where all members could be equal partners. However, Von Uckermann shared that talks for a reunion tour began as early as 2015.
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“We had like eight chats in WhatsApp, and we were constantly talking, because it was harder to see each other [in person]. [Members] were very busy shooting a TV series or working on their albums,†he said.
After eight years, all but one of the six original members agreed to a reunion tour (member Alfonso Herrera is not touring with the group). Four months later, the long-awaited, 15-year reunion was brought to life at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso on Aug. 25.
“It’s like this big giant just woke up because RBD never died,†Von Uckermann said.
Sarahi Montoya waited 15 years for the reunion, even dyeing her hair red to match her favorite member, Dulce MarÃa.
“Besides being very pretty and famous, Dulce MarÃa has always been humble and maintains herself rooted in her ideals, and never steers away from them,†said Montoya.
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Montoya had tickets to see RBD in Mexico City during their last tour in 2008 but unexpectedly moved when her family received U.S. visas.
“I had to let go of my ticket and they had already toured the U.S. so I couldn’t attend a concert until now. Finally, I am going to see them,†Montoya said.
Brian Pereira was 4 years old when he got hooked on the “Rebelde†show.
“I didn’t understand the concept of time at [that age], so I would go downstairs and I’d be like, ‘Ma, ya esta la novela, ya esta la novela,’†said Pereira.
The reunion brought feelings of nostalgia for Pereira, who remembers the fan craze years ago.
“It’s my childhood. [RBD] was the first thing I was ever a fan of and I just always remember going to the swap meet and getting their perfume or like buying their gum, buying their ice creams with their stickers,†Pereira said.
Attending the concert is finally putting Periera’s inner child at ease.
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“I am giving him what he always wanted, to be here in this moment, to sing the songs that have always made me feel happy. Songs that I like, that are part of my life. Songs that have gotten me through hard times,†said Periera.
As the band closes out their U.S. Soy Rebelde tour, Von Uckermann acknowledged that this moment of reunification would not have been possible without the continued support of fans.
“RBD is not RBD without followers. It’s real. I see their faces, how excited they are, and now I understand why it’s worth all this.â€
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