Inuvialuit folk-rocker Willie Thrasher off to perform in U.K.

Musician Willie Thrasher tours often, but he's off to perform in the U.K. for the first time on Saturday.  

"Aboriginal music around the world is picking up really well right now," said Thrasher.

Thrasher currently lives in Nanaimo, B.C., but he was born in Aklavik, N.W.T., in 1948. His father was an Inuvialuit whaler and a hunter.

That was the life that Thrasher was born into, but at age five he was taken from his family and placed in the residential school system until he was 16.

He began making music of his own while at school and now, more than 50 years, multiple bands and solo projects later, Thrasher and his singing partner Linda Saddleback are in London to perform at record label Light in the Attic's 16th anniversary.

"I've been dreaming about coming here for a long time and it's such an honour to be here," said Thrasher.

"I think right now it's probably the right time for me to come around to England and show them my music of the past and the future."

Founded in 2002, Light in the Attic Records released the Grammy Award-nominated Native North America, Vol 1 compiled by Kevin Howes.  

The record featured three of Thrasher's original songs and other First Nations, Métis and Inuit musicians from across Canada and Alaska.

Other notable releases from the label include the reissuing of Cold Fact by Rodriguez and albums from contemporary artists like The Black Angels.

Reclaiming culture

"When I was in residential school that I knew that something that was taken away from me," said Thrasher.

The thought lingered with him through the 1960s, then a few years later while performing with the Cordells, one of the first Inuit rock bands, a chance encounter would set Thrasher on a journey to rediscover the Inuvialuit culture that was stolen from him at residential school.

"An old man came to our concert one night and told us legends and stories about the great North and he knew more about the Inuvialuit culture than I did," said Thrasher.

"That opened up my mind, then I started learning more about my traditional ways."

The man suggested that the band began to look to their cultural roots for inspiration.

At the time Thrasher was playing drums for the band, but he picked up a guitar full-time and started to write songs about the stories he was learning and reconnecting with the part of him he lost while attending residential school.

"I knew that Inuvialuit sang their drum songs about legends and stories," he said.

"I brought mine through acoustic guitar."

Thrasher said he continues to write and perform songs to keep his culture alive.

"This is what our Elders were telling us, to keep our traditional way going," he said. 

"I've been playing guitar since I was 12 or 13 years old and I'm still learning. I'm still learning from the past; I'm still learning the traditional way. For me music will never die."