Mattel created a sextet of Barbie-sized fashion dolls based on Rebelde, a pop music group that emerged from a Mexican telenovela about the lives of six students at prestigious boarding school, Elite Way High School. The RBD pop group won many musical awards and became the most well-known Mexican pop group, receiving worldwide coverage in five years from 2004 when they formed for the telenovela to when they disbanded in 2009.
Here are the dolls along with their Wikipedia RBD biographies in case the link to the first episode piqued your curiosity.
- Mía Colucci
- Roberta Alexandra María Pardo Rey
- Lupita Fernandez
- Miguel Arango
- Diego Bustamante
- Giovanni Méndez
Mattel issued the RBD dolls in three waves:
Elite Way High School red uniformed girls only
Concert girls only
Elite Way High School red uniformed boys AND girls sold in 2-doll sets
Summer - Winter of 2008, I was on my Rebelde hunt. I bought Schoolgirls Lupita and Roberta separately. Then, I bought the Concert versions of Lupita and Roberta. I could not wait to find the boys. New playscale men? Yes! Ethnic men? Double yes! Here are the dolls I have minus Mia.
Schoolgirl Lupita redressed in a Generation Girl Tori jumpsuit stands alongside the box of "older" Concert Lupita. The schoolgirl girls are 11" tall while the Concert dolls are 11.5." The guys are 12" tall.
Concert Lupita - best face, I think. I'm likely going to keep her and to eventually de-box her.
Schoolgirl Roberta redressed in a Generation Girl Tori jumpsuit stands alongside the box of "older" Concert Roberta. If you see a Roberta out of her box and she has bangs (fringe), then she is the Concert doll.
Concert Roberta definitely going to the for sale pile. At first, I liked her excessive make-up look. I can't say that I completely love that look now. Hhhhhhmmmm ... thinking ....
Here are the Rebelde guys showing off their profiles. Yeah, they're fine. They're fine.
But do they look like the actors of the Rebelde group? I think Miguel does a good enough job.
Diego, however, fails to resemble the actor playing Diego. Not even the hair matches. Good looking doll, but no likeness to the actor.
And the Giovanni doll? Wince. I can see an attempt was made. But no, this one gets no prize for strong resemblance either. The doll's head should be narrower.
Found your new or recovered an "old" musical group? The RBD group has an official website. While the group broke up in 2009, they might reunite some day.
If you have the dolls though, they can perform together whenever you choose. Such is the magic of playscale ;-)
