Rappin' cowboy stops in Hot Springs
The unlikely combination of country music and rap was brought to Fergie’s pub in Hot Springs on Thursday evening.
The unlikely combination of country music and rap was brought to Fergie’s pub in Hot Springs on Thursday evening.
Chris “Sandman” Sand found a unique way to combine an array of musical genres into one cohesive performance and put Hot Springs on the list of stops on his current tour that will ultimately end in Spokane. Also touring with the Sandman is singer/songwriter
Nima Samima, an Iranian musician from Boston, who also raps and works as an MC.
Having grown up on the Flathead Reservation in Charlo, Sand spent many years swimming in the hot springs and tries to make Hot Springs one of his regular stops whenever he is touring through this part of the country, typically playing at the Symes Hotel.
Sand spent the majority of his childhood growing up on a farm in Charlo. Hip hop and break dancing quickly became popular forms of artistic expression on the reservation.
“I wasn’t a very good break dancer so I started rapping so I could fit in,” said Sand.
When Sand was in his early 20s he began rapping at open mic-nights in Missoula, but audiences were not very taken with his raps and he decided to learn how to play country music in addition to continuing rapping in order to entertain the public.
“I’ve always used country music to sing songs about nostalgia from my roots and growing up in the country in Montana and North Dakota, but I used rap because I enjoy it more and it’s fun and you can express more political things and whatever I want,” said Sand.
Sand said when it came to his “big break” he just made it happen. After recording his first CD, he sent letters out to all of his friends to see if they would like to buy his first CD. Sand ended up
making around $3,000 from his first recording, which allowed him to record a second CD and from there his musical career took off. Since then, Sand has recorded ten albums.
While on the road with Samimi, he has almost finished recording his 11th CD that currently has 25 tracks to it.
“This is my first tour and I have a small portable studio and it all fits in a salad bowl so we call it ‘studio in a bowl,’” said Samimi.
Samimi and Sand drove all the way from Boston to tour around North Dakota, Mont. and Wash., stopping in Kalispell, Missoula, Ronan and finally Hot Springs.
The story of the rappin cowboy will also soon be on film as a director, who saw Sand perform in Chicago decided to make a documentary about his life.
“She (the director) said somehow I’m going to make you famous. I’m not famous yet, but she’s trying her best,” said Sand.
The trailer for the documentary can be viewed at www.rolloutcowboy.com.
For more information on the Sandman please visit www.rappincowboy.com.