Telenovela-based band plays Save Mart
By Enrique Martin
The Collegian
Style was favored over substance Friday night at the Save Mart Center, as Mexican pop group RBD charmed Fresno State students and concertgoers from around the San Joaquin Valley.
Many Fresno State students spent hundreds of dollars for tickets and most gave the band a “thumbs up,” making the concert a success despite the fact that band members are known more as actors than as musicians.
“It doesn’t matter at all because they are cute, and that is what makes this group to be more popular,” said Mariela Gomez, a rehabilitation counseling major.
“I spent $102 on my ticket and I would do it again,” Gomez said.
RBD was recently formed with Anahí, Alfonso Herrera, Dulce María, Christopher Alexander, Maite Perroni and Christián Chávez actors from the popular Mexican telenovela “Rebelde.” The TV soap opera has a loyal following, which has led to popularity and fame for RBD among Hispanics and the Fresno State students who delighted in them at the show.
Other Fresno State students didn’t seem to mind that members of RBD are actors rather than musicians either.
“I thought it was good,” said Daniela Zavala, a junior physical therapy major. Zavala, who has followed the “Rebelde” telenovela since it started, said the concert was actually better than she expected.
“I liked it because people were standing most of the time and screaming and having a good time,” Zavala said.
Some students, like Anette de la Torre, had criticisms, but were glad that such a big event for Hispanics was happening in such a big venue on campus.
An official attendance number was not available, but at least one member of the Save Mart Center event staff said concert attendance was impressive.
“I heard a guy from one of the radio stations say that this was the first Hispanic event that has been sold out here at the Save Mart,” Eric Mende, a security staffer, said. “There was a lot of people but I don’t think it was sold out. I could see some empty spaces from where I was standing.”
RBD is not the first band made up of Mexican soap opera actors. In 2000, the actors from the telenovela “Decade” came out as singers of their own band, DKDA, but didn’t have very much success.
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