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James Boraski plays at Le Frolic with Willowroot earlier this year. In back is Rudy Desjardins, who is abroad until next spring. - NNSL file photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Musician James Boraski picked up his first guitar as a young teenager in southern Ontario. It was a cheap acoustic from Zellers he bought with money saved from picking strawberries and raspberries.

He quickly learned a few Johnny Cash and Gordon Lightfoot covers. His father, Leo Boraski, noticed the spark of passion and dedication his son had for music and bought him a chord book and made an offer.

"If you stay dedicated to guitar then we'll get you a good guitar," James recalled him saying. James said he rose to his dad's challenge. Soon, he had his own 12-string worth $200.

"He's been a significant influence in my life," Boraski said.

When Leo, now 86, turned 80 years old, Boraski honoured the milestone by performing a song he wrote for his father on his old 12-string, which is now repaired and braced many times over.

The song is titled First Time Around. It's about reconciliation.

"Everyone goes through these times with their parents when things don't go as they should," Boraski said.

Boraski is soon heading back to Ontario to be with his dad, who is struggling with cancer.

"My dad's time is short," he said. "Not only will I be losing a father, I'll be losing a best friend, as well."

In 2004 Boraski moved from Ontario, where he'd been performing on stage as a soloist for years, to Inuvik.

He met Bob Mumford and Mike Whiteside from Razzamajazz and songwriter Dennis Allen while preparing for a gig at the Great Northern Arts Festival.

"Next thing you know I was performing on stage with seven musicians," he said.

From there he started jamming and playing festivals and gigs with an ever-growing circle of musicians. He formed the band Momentary Evolution during his first year in the North, bringing an ever-changing variety of musicians on stage with him for each show. Boraski imported the Momentary Evolution concept to Yellowknife when he relocated to the capital a couple of years ago.

"I found the same thing here in Yellowknife," he said. "Music is very fluid and it's a very giving community in terms of people wanting to integrate and share their music together and share the fun."

Since forming in 2004, Boraski has shared the stage with more than 30 different Momentary Evolution bandmates.

"We've gotten a lot of positive comments from the people we play for because they just never know who's going to be on stage," he said. "Some of the songs are the same but they sound different because we might have a saxophone player instead of a guitar."

Those fresh interpretations and combinations are part of the evolution, he said.

Songwriter Sophie Leger has backed Boraski and the revolving musicians of Momentary Evolution since the band formed.

"James is very introspective," she said. "He gets his inspiration from his life and his experience. I think he's a very good writer."

In turn, Boraski plays with Leger's band, Willowroot. Willowroot delivers laid-back lounge music in French and English, including a large number of originals written by Leger.

Boraski often performs outside of the clubs and festivals at community fundraisers for the Emergency Shelter for Women, the Stanton Territorial Hospital and other organizations. Tomorrow he and Jonathan Churcher are scheduled to play at the Festival of the Midnight Sun fundraiser for the Centre for Northern Families at Northern United Place starting at 6 p.m.

"We try to give back to the community what the community has given to us," Boraski said.

Willowroot is on stage at Fuego tonight from 8 p.m. until 11 p.m. Boraski will host the World AIDS Day fundraiser at Fuego on Dec. 1 between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.