Miami, FL
Miami native 'Cuban Cowboy' Orlando Mendez returns home for Country Bay Musical Festival
MIAMI – Miami-native Orlando Mendez had been an aspiring actor when a pandemic shut down live entertainment in 2020. But the break gave Mendez a chance to embrace his love of county music and reinvent himself as the “Cuban Cowboy.”
After COVID-19 locked the world down, Mendez said he turned to YouTube and taught himself to play guitar. Once restrictions began to lift, the 28-year-old said he put a band together and started getting gigs in South Florida and other parts of the state.
“We brought country to a lot of bars that never had country before, a lot of these bars that are staples here in Miami but never really had a country act,” Mendez said. “We started playing country music, and I think it was just the right place, right time. Got a momentum and started building quickly.”
Mendez is returning to Miami this month to perform at the Country Bay Music Festival scheduled for Nov. 9-10 at the 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 so prevalent, and just to see it grow in this city and in this market to the point where we can have a big-time country festival was really exciting for me,” Mendez said.
The headliners scheduled 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 playing shows around Florida, Mendez got his big break when he appeared on “The Voice” in 2022. He impressed judges with a cover of Luke Combs’ “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and joined a team led by pop singer Camila Cabello, a native Cuban who grew up in Miami. Mendez, a University of Florida theater school graduate, credits his acting background in developing his stage presence.
Mendez didn’t win, but the experience prompted him to make the move to Nashville. He released a single called “Motherland” earlier this year about his experiences as a Cuban American, and an EP with five songs dropped last month.
Mendez attended last year’s County Bay, and he’s looking forward to this year.
“It was an incredible festival with a lot of great sights and an incredible atmosphere, and this year, I’m expecting them to take a step up,” Mendez said.
Miami already is considered a hub for Latin, hip-hop and electronic music, but Country Bay organizer Nelson Albareda, the CEO of Loud and Live, said the success of last year’s event proves there’s a place for country and possibly even other genres. And a few more successful years might earn County Bay a permanent spot in Miami’s music scene alongside Rolling Loud and Ultra Music Festival.
“I think the city today 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 at even five or 10 years ago.”
About half of last year’s crowd was people visiting from out of town, but the other half was from the Miami area, which is about 70% Hispanic. Albareda said more than a third of all country music fans in the U.S. identify as people of Latin descent.
“You could definitely see Miami representing at the festival,” Albareda said. “There were a lot of Hispanic faces.”
Country Bay is returning to the Miami Marine Stadium, taking advantage of the view across Biscayne Bay toward Miami’s skyline. The festival drew more than 20,000 people over two days last year, and Albareda said he’s expecting a similar crowd this year. And like last year, the festival also has been selling anchorage access passes enabling 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 performers this year.
“We were getting texts from agents while the festival was going on saying, ‘Hey, I don’t know what you guys did, but my artists are texting me, and everybody is loving the festival,’” Albareda said.
One of the new acts this year 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.”
Besides hosting musical acts on two stages, the Country Bay Music Festival will include a country-themed bar, food and carnival attractions.
“Line-dancing was such a hit that we’ve added a whole second stage with an entire area for line-dancing,” Albareda said.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Miami, FL
Your 2026 Miami Dolphins Draft Picks Expectations
Highest ceiling: Proctor. There’s a reason they drafted him in the first round. If he loses 25 pounds, he can be a multi-time first team All Pro. But he has to put the work in and not be lazy.
Lowest ceiling: Caleb Douglas. Don’t see him fixing his drops. But I hope he proves me wrong.
Best overall pick: Jacob Rodriguez. Guy will be a sideline to sideline tackling machine.
Best value pick: Kyle Louis. He should have went in the 3rd round and will be a major contributor.
Best pick no one else sees as great…yet: Seydou Traore. The more tape I watch on this guy at Mississippi State, the more I like. If he refines his route running and hands, he could be our starting TE in 2 or 3 years.
Biggest reach pick: Caleb Douglas. See above. He should have went in the 5th, maybe 6th.
Biggest missed opportunity: Not drafting Bain. I sure hope those short arms limit him in the NFL. Now the guy has a huge chip on his shoulder and is pissed at the 14 teams that passed on him, including Miami. The guy was a menace in college. I’m not looking forward to facing the Bucs in the future.
Miami, FL
Miami Area Gets First New Manufactured Home Community in Decades
Miami-Dade County is one of the most desirable places to live in the country, but its median listing price of $595,868 is pushing many everyday people out of the market.
That’s why an affordable alternative is drawing attention.
Cottage Grove, a manufactured housing community under construction in South Miami-Dade, will feature 349 single-family homes with prices starting at just $129,900. It will be the first new manufactured housing development in Miami-Dade in decades.
“The interest has been tremendous,” Ross Partrich, the CEO of RHP Properties, which owns Cottage Grove, tells Realtor.com®. “The market is showing there’s a real need—we’ve had over 1,000 inquiries.”
RHP Properties has built manufactured housing communities across 31 states, including Florida, but this is its first project in Miami-Dade.
“Cottage Grove addresses a critical gap in the housing supply at a time when rising home prices and construction costs are putting homeownership out of reach for many families and when supply is shrinking due to redevelopment,” says Partrich.
According to the Manufactured Housing Institute, approximately 22 million Americans reside in manufactured homes. These homes are faster and cheaper to build.
“There’s much less waste and more precision when you’re building in a factory,” says Partrich. “The economies of scale are better, and we’re passing on the savings to our residents.”
About the community
At Cottage Grove, homeowners will own their houses but lease the land beneath them, paying $1,445 a month in lot rent.
Partrich says residents of the community will enjoy five-star amenities.
“That includes a beautifully maintained pool with a large sun deck, contemporary clubhouse, fitness center, yoga and lounge rooms, scenic biking and walking trails, and serene gazebos,” he says.
While many manufactured housing communities in Florida are age-restricted to 55 and older, this 92-acre community will welcome residents of all ages.
“The playground, expansive green spaces, and gated entrance add to the community’s appeal for families,” says Partrich.
Partrich says people have already begun putting down deposits on the homes—each of which has four bedrooms and is around 1,600 square feet.
“They’re spacious, with open floor plans, multiple living areas, and kitchens equipped with stainless-steel appliances and islands,” he explains.
The first group of homes is expected to be completed and move-in-ready by late summer.
Durability and long-term value
In hurricane-prone Florida, durability and safety are key considerations.
Homes in Cottage Grove meet a set of quality standards from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
They’re set on concrete foundations, and Partrich says they’re able to withstand hurricane-force winds—which gives residents added peace of mind.
Over the past seven years, manufactured homes sold without land have appreciated by 51.6%, according to the Realtor.com Perks of the Park: Mobile Homes as an Affordable Alternative Report.
By comparison, median single-family homes rose 58.6% over the same period.
“Financing has typically been more challenging to obtain on manufactured homes, with fewer lenders and higher interest rates,” Florida real estate agent Cara Ameer tells Realtor.com.
“Most manufactured housing communities use land leases, adding a monthly fee that can make it harder for some buyers to qualify or stay long-term. As a result, appreciation has historically been more limited,” Ameer explains.
But Florida real estate broker Jeff Lichtenstein, CEO of Echo Fine Properties, says he believes manufactured houses will only continue to rise in popularity, especially in the Sunshine State.
“Stronger manufactured homes are going to be big,” he says. “The reason is that people just want a piece of the American dream and don’t want to be stuck in rentals. These, in many cases, are stepping-stone communities that let someone get started and not be forced to move two counties away. It solves the problem of homeownership, individual placement, and a sense of community.”
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Miami, FL
Four Convicted in Miami for Roles in Killing of Haiti President
Four men were convicted in Miami for their roles in the 2021 assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse that further destabilized the government and led to years of violence in the country.
Jurors returned guilty verdicts Friday against the men, who prosecutors said had organized the plot using Colombian mercenaries and Haitian gang members to violently oust Moïse and replace him with a friendly successor to allow them to obtain lucrative contracts with the government. The group helped supply equipment from Florida to aid in the killing, prosecutors said.
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