Don Omar stretches his legacy with 'Back to Reggaeton' in Los Angeles

Nobody gets the crown from the king. On Wednesday night, Don Omar threw a high-energy, career-spanning celebration as part of his Back to Reggaeton tour in Los Angeles. During a nearly two-hour, 40-song show at the Kia Forum, Don Omar delivered a set full of old-school perreo, while also paying tribute to the artists who paved the way for him.

Don Omar, dressed in a leather coat with red fur, took the stage seated on a huge silver skull throne. He was surrounded by a dozen dancers and visuals portraying him as a pirate king. He opened the concert with some of his early 2000s classics, bringing fans to their feet with “Dale Don Dale”, his collaboration with Héctor El Father “Ronca” and an excerpt from his collaboration with Daddy Yankee “Sácala”.

Don Omar often takes moments between songs to acknowledge the crowd. His first speech was dedicated. to celebrity guests in the crowd, including Dog Whisperer César Millán, whom he described as his “superhero.” He also called out rapper Snow Tha Product. “You have a fan here who loves what you do, how you do it and who you are,” he said pointing to the Mexican American artist. “God bless you, girl.”

The thanks continued mid-show when he celebrated some of reggaeton's biggest names, including those who played a genre-shaping role alongside him. He first performed a mashup of his collaborations with Héctor y Tito “Baila Morena” and “Amor de Colegio”, citing how the duo changed his life. “If it wasn't for those men who gave me the opportunity, I probably wouldn't have the life I have now,” he said.

He called out the Luny Tunes, using their track “Reggaetón Latino” to call for unity among Latinos “in a country like this that tries to divide us.” Later, he transported fans back to his MySpace days by performing his collaborations with Wisín y Yandel. He concluded his tribute by celebrating his longtime rival Daddy Yankee.

“It started before I started making music. You can't cover the sun with one hand,” he said. “For the past 30 years, this genre has had a musical exponent named Raymond Ayala, who you know as the King of Reggaeton, Daddy Yankee.” Behind him, as he played “Gata Gangster” and “Desafío,” an image of a chessboard centered on the two king pawns, showing how perhaps two kings can dominate the game at once. (The duo ended their decades-long feud in December.)

For the last handful of tracks, the crowd went wild as Don Omar performed his biggest hits back-to-back. First, there was 2003's 'Dile', which ended to huge applause. Don Omar then begged his DJ to play 2006's “Cuétale.” He hit the crowd with another hit with “Mayor Que Yo.” But the biggest highlight was “Ella y Yo” as the crowd sang along to Romeo Santos' lyrics. (It was hard not to think of Romeo and Don Omar's iconic fake fight show at Madison Square Garden since 2007.)

Don Omar's show was packed with fans of all ages — from couples in their 20s perreando in every song to solteras shouting the lyrics of 'Quien La Vio Llorar to 40 year old ladies in Zumba gear ready for the Brazilian funk tracks at the end of his set. With colorful lights and confetti raining down on the crowd, Don Omar ended his show with “Taboo” and, of course, the classic “Danza Kuduro”, featuring Lucenzo.

“Thank you,” Don Omar said to the crowd, before exiting the stage for his encore. “Because I'll be back for more.” When you're Don Omar and have era-defining hits like he did, your reign never ends.