MIAMI (AP) — Miami native Orlando Mendez was an aspiring actor when a pandemic shut down live entertainment in 2020. But the hiatus gave Mendez a chance to embrace his love of county music and reinvent himself as “The Cuban Cowboy”.

After COVID-19 shut down the world, Mendez said he turned to YouTube and taught himself to play guitar. Once restrictions began to lift, the 28-year-old said he formed a band and began playing concerts in South Florida and other parts of the state.

“We’ve brought country to a lot of bars that have never had country before, a lot of these bars that are staples here in Miami but have never had a country show,” Mendez said. “We started playing country music and I think it was the right place, the right time. I got a boost and started building fast.”

Mendez returns to Miami this month to perform at Country Bay Music Festival scheduled for November 9-10 at historic Miami Marine Stadium, just southeast of downtown on Virginia Key in Biscayne Bay.

“I grew up listening to country in Miami, where the country scene wasn’t that prevalent, and just to see it grow in this city and in this market to the point where we can have a country festival on a large scale has been really exciting for me. Mendez said.

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

After more than a year of performing in Florida, Mendez got her big break when she appeared on “The Voice” in 2022. She wowed the judges with a cover of Luke Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and her joining a team led by pop singer Camila Cabello, a native Cuban who grew up in Miami. Mendez, a graduate of the University of Florida School of Drama, credits his acting experience with developing his stage presence.

Mendez didn’t win, but the experience prompted him to move to Nashville. He released a single called “Motherland” earlier this year about his experiences as a Cuban American, and a five-song EP came out last month.

Mendez attended County Bay last year and is looking forward to this year.

“It was an incredible festival with a lot of great sights and an incredible atmosphere, and this year, I expect it to take it a step further,” said Mendez.

Miami is already considered a hub for Latin, hip-hop and electronic music, but Country Bay organizer Nelson Albareda, CEO of Loud and Live, said the success of last year’s event proves there is room for country and possibly even for other genres. And a few more years of success could earn County Bay a permanent place on the Miami music scene next door Rolling Loud and Ultra Music Festival.

“I think today’s city is a global city,” Albareda said. “And we’ve had all this influx of people and culture, you can’t compare Miami on a global map to where it was even five or 10 years ago.”

About half of last year’s crowd were visitors from out of town, but the other half were from the Miami area, which is about 70 percent Hispanic. Albareda said more than a third of all country music fans in the U.S. identify as Latino.

“You can definitely see Miami represented at the festival,” Albareda said. “There were a lot of Hispanic faces.”

Country Bay returns to Miami Marine Stadium, taking advantage of the view across Biscayne Bay to the Miami skyline. The festival drew more than 20,000 people over two days last year, and Albareda said he expects a similar crowd this year. And like last year, the festival also sold mooring passes that allow fans to attend the event by boat or yacht.

Albareda said the success of last year’s festival, with both artists and fans flooding social media with posts about the event, made it much easier to book acts this year.

“While the festival was going on, we were getting messages from agents saying, ‘Hey, I don’t know what you guys have been up to, but my artists are messaging me and everyone is loving the festival,'” Albareda said.

One of this year’s new acts is Central Florida native Chase Rice, who recently released two albums, “Go Down Singin'” and “Fireside Sessions.”

“I was born in Daytona Beach, so anything South Florida or anything Florida in general is a no-brainer for me,” Rice said. “And it’s late in the year, man.” It’s cold up here. I’m ready to get down in the heat.”

In addition to hosting musical acts on two stages, the Country Bay Music Festival will feature a country-themed bar, food and carnival rides.

“Line dancing was such a hit that we added an entire second stage with an entire line dance area,” Albareda said.