Miami native 'Cuban Cowboy' Orlando Mendez returns home for Country Bay Musical Festival

MIAMI -- Miami-native Orlando Mendez had been an aspiring character erstwhile a pandemic unopen down unrecorded intermezo successful 2020. But nan break gave Mendez a chance to clasp his emotion of region euphony and reinvent himself arsenic nan “Cuban Cowboy.”

After COVID-19 locked nan world down, Mendez said he turned to YouTube and taught himself to play guitar. Once restrictions began to lift, nan 28-year-old said he put a set together and started getting gigs successful South Florida and different parts of nan state.

“We brought state to a batch of bars that ne'er had state before, a batch of these bars that are staples present successful Miami but ne'er really had a state act,” Mendez said. “We started playing state music, and I deliberation it was conscionable nan correct place, correct time. Got a momentum and started building quickly.”

Mendez is returning to Miami this period to execute astatine nan Country Bay Music Festival scheduled for Nov. 9-10 astatine nan historical Miami Marine Stadium, conscionable southeast of downtown connected Virginia Key successful Biscayne Bay.

“I grew up listening to state successful Miami wherever nan state segment wasn't truthful prevalent, and conscionable to spot it turn successful this metropolis and successful this marketplace to nan constituent wherever we tin person a big-time state show was really breathtaking for me,” Mendez said.

The headliners scheduled for nan arena are Zac Brown Band, Carrie Underwood, Dustin Lynch, Diplo presents Thomas Wesley, Chase Rice and Chris Janson. Other performers see Niko Moon, Gabby Barrett, Chayce Beckham, Parmalee, Chase Matthew, Redferrin, Owen Riegling, Willie Jones, RVSHVD and Dee Jay Silver.

After much than a twelvemonth of playing shows astir Florida, Mendez sewage his large break erstwhile he appeared connected “The Voice” successful 2022. He impressed judges pinch a screen of Luke Combs' “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and joined a squad led by popular vocalist Camila Cabello, a autochthonal Cuban who grew up successful Miami. Mendez, a University of Florida theatre schoolhouse graduate, credits his acting inheritance successful processing his shape presence.

Mendez didn't win, but nan acquisition prompted him to make nan move to Nashville. He released a azygous called “Motherland” earlier this twelvemonth astir his experiences arsenic a Cuban American, and an EP pinch 5 songs dropped past month.

Mendez attended past year's County Bay, and he's looking guardant to this year.

“It was an unthinkable show pinch a batch of awesome sights and an unthinkable atmosphere, and this year, I’m expecting them to return a measurement up,” Mendez said.

Miami already is considered a hub for Latin, hip-hop and physics music, but Country Bay organizer Nelson Albareda, nan CEO of Loud and Live, said nan occurrence of past year's arena proves there's a spot for state and perchance moreover different genres. And a fewer much successful years mightiness gain County Bay a imperishable spot successful Miami's euphony segment alongside Rolling Loud and Ultra Music Festival.

“I deliberation nan metropolis coming is simply a world city,” Albareda said. “And we’ve had each this influx of group and culture, you can't comparison Miami connected a world representation to wherever it was astatine moreover 5 aliases 10 years ago.”

About half of past year's crowd was group visiting from retired of town, but nan different half was from nan Miami area, which is astir 70% Hispanic. Albareda said much than a 3rd of each state euphony fans successful nan U.S. place arsenic group of Latin descent.

“You could decidedly spot Miami representing astatine nan festival,” Albareda said. “There were a batch of Hispanic faces.”

Country Bay is returning to nan Miami Marine Stadium, taking advantage of nan position crossed Biscayne Bay toward Miami's skyline. The show drew much than 20,000 group complete 2 days past year, and Albareda said he's expecting a akin crowd this year. And for illustration past year, nan show besides has been trading anchorage entree passes enabling fans to be nan arena by vessel aliases yacht.

Albareda said nan occurrence of past year's festival, pinch some artists and fans flooding societal media pinch posts astir nan event, made it overmuch easier to book performers this year.

“We were getting texts from agents while nan show was going connected saying, ‘Hey, I don’t cognize what you guys did, but my artists are texting me, and everybody is loving nan festival,'" Albareda said.

One of nan caller acts this twelvemonth is cardinal Florida autochthonal Chase Rice, who precocious released 2 albums, “Go Down Singin’” and “Fireside Sessions."

“I was calved successful Daytona Beach, truthful thing South Florida aliases thing Florida successful wide is simply a no-brainer for me,” Rice said. “And it’s precocious successful nan year, man. It’s acold up here. I’m fresh to get down successful nan heat.”

Besides hosting philharmonic acts connected 2 stages, nan Country Bay Music Festival will see a country-themed bar, nutrient and carnival attractions.

“Line-dancing was specified a deed that we’ve added a full 2nd shape pinch an full area for line-dancing,” Albareda said.