Latin-Pop Band RBD Reunites for the ‘Soy Rebelde’ Tour at Minute Maid Park

This past Sunday night brought all of the Latinos out to Minute Maid Park to catch one of Mexico’s most popular acts in history, RBD.

The band derived from the telenovela Rebelde, which aired on Televisa from 2004 to 2006 and followed the lives of six students at a fictional boarding school called Elite Way School in Mexico. The show took the world by storm, as the show was a conglomerate phenomenon. From spin-offs and recreations of the show to huge merchandising deals (Barbies, Mexican candy brands, etc.), the novela became a global sensation. The show was also the basis of the musical group RBD, which consisted of members Anahi, Dulce Maria, Maite Perroni, Christian Chavez, Christopher von Uckermann, and Alfonso “Poncho” Herrera. The band released a total of 5 studio albums and 4 bilingual albums (3 in Portuguese and 1 in English) until they disbanded in 2009. Their final tour, called Tour del Adiós, took place in 2008, marking the end of the group.

In 2020, the 4/6 members reunited for the Ser O Parecer Virtual Concert, and everyone thought that was going to be their only reunion. Boy, were we so wrong – in 2022, all members (except Herrera) cleared their Instagram accounts hinting that something big was coming. On January 19, 2023, multiple public events happened across the world (including a RBD themed-event at Houston’s Axelrad) that confirmed the reunion tour, their final tour.

Everyone at Minute Maid was wearing the iconic uniforms from the prep school – from the red jackets and miniskirts to striped ties and knee-high boots. A lot of fans also had Mia Colucci’s (portrayed by Anahi) iconic star sticker on the forehead and Roberta Pardo’s (portrayed by Dulce Maria) well-known red hair streaks. Everyone of all ages was ready to see the group take the stage, whether they saw them back in the early 2000s or were seeing them for the first time ever.

The group performed such a perfect setlist that combined all of the best songs from each album (including bonus tracks from their live albums). “Tras de Mi” was the show’s opener, where they were lowered from the top of the stage, and everything was set into motion. Although there were multiple (rather long) intermissions and outfit changes, everyone screamed their hearts out to every single song. On top of playing full songs like “Enséñame” and “Ser o Parecer,” they had multiple medleys throughout. From the medley that featured all of the female members to an homage to the novela (played the songs from their debut album and were featured in the show), RBD surely knew how to add some variety and flare to their performance.

While Dulce Maria had her spotlight during the heart-wrenching track “No Pares” and Maite Perroni had herst during “Empezar Desde Cero,” one of the pivotal moments of the night was when member Christian Chavez had the spotlight and performed “Quisiera Ser” and “I Wanna Be the Rain.” A big LGBTQ+ flag popped up on all of the screens, and Chavez noted his experiences coming out as a gay man and expressed his opinion about the Texas and Florida governments about their harsh laws against the community. He chanted that this is a free country and continued to exclaim that’s how he was born and that no one could ever change that. A respectful standing ovation occurred as he left the stage, urging fans to chant his name in support.

Si conocen a alguien que sea parte de la comunidad… amanlos, protegenlos! Porque ahora mismo nos necesitan mas que nunca.

–

If you know someone who is apart of the community… love them, protect them! Because right now, they need us more than ever!

Christian Chavez from RBD at Minute Maid Park

As the final interlude of the night titled “Fuertemente Rebelde” narrated by Anahi played on screen, the singer came out sitting on a planet that floated across the stage wearing her pink cowboy hat to sing RBD’s hit song “Sálvame.” The whole venue vibrated as everyone sang as loud as possible. “Yo quiero que me la canten a mi… porque yo he esperado 15 años para escucharlos a todos ustedes” (translates to I want everyone to sing to me, because I wated 15 years to hear all of you sing”) Anahi exclaims to Houston as she teared up. While the show had so many touching moments – including a couple named Angie and Miriam getting engaged and a kiss cam featured on “Bésame Sin Miedo” – this moment was the most beautiful.

The final half of the setlist featured songs that were embedded in our heads back in the 2000s, such as “Nuestro Amor” and “Solo Quédate en Silencio.” The group ended their set with the song that started it all – all five members emerged on stage to mannequins carrying their trademarked red jackets. They dusted off the jackets and put them on, adding the final touch of putting on the tie. They began to sing “Rebelde” and continued to express gratitude to their fans for waiting. Overall, the show is the greatest example of what an Eras / Reunion tour should look like – amazing production, creative fan interactions, an a setlist riddled with nostalgia. RBD remains closer than ever as seen in their stage presence due to their frequent hand holding, secret whispers and hugging; they knew how to serve their fans. Everyone was transported back to the early 2000s during this show, and RBD proved that even 20 years later, they still love their fans and are grateful for their band.

“Gracias por no olvidarnos.”

Personal Note:

I was a mega-fan: I wore the Elite Way uniform almost every day as if I attended the prep school. I would go home straight after school to turn on my television and made sure I was on time when the novela aired. While I never got to see them in concert when I was younger, this show felt as if 8/9 year old Keylee was in attendance. Seeing my childhood heroes in front of me was a dream come true and I urge ANYONE who was an RBD fan to catch a show. It’s so worth it and it will ease your childhood heart.