by Janet Smellie
Northern News Services

NNSL (Aug 18/97) - With three albums now selling internationally, Inuvialuit recording star Willie Thrasher says he's still a long way off from reaching his goal.

The Inuvik-born musician says that, while he enjoys writing his "country-folk" tunes, his dream is to one day do something for his own people through his music.

"My dream is to one day promote the Inuvialuit culture worldwide. I want to learn the Inuvialuit drum dancing and learn the legends to incorporate into my songs," Thrasher said following his performance at Folk on the Rocks in Yellowknife last month.

Thrasher, who's worked with such Canadian greats as Kashtin, currently makes his home in Duncan, B.C., where he's now working on his fourth album.

And while he admit's he turned down a chance to join the popular "country rock" bandwagon, he prefers to stick to his own style of music and "record albums when and how I want to, on my own."

"I had a chance to make it big on the country market when I was performing in Moose Jaw. I had this guy wanting to sign me up and send me all over. Only problem was he wanted me to change my style. I just looked at him and walked away."

Thrasher, who fell in love with the guitar when he started jamming with his friends while going to school in Yellowknife, says he was inspired to pursue music full-time by a stranger who approached him while he was studying at Akaitcho Hall.

"This old white man walked in while we were playing our music and said 'why don't you write your own aboriginal music?'" recalls Thrasher, who says he never saw the man again after that night.

He then returned to Inuvik, where after listening to his elders and learning about Inuvialuit legends, he began incorporating these stories into his songs.

His songs, he admits, are sometimes more political than people are willing to accept.

"We're facing a lot of change right now -- my people especially. When you look at the earth in general and the ozone layer disappearing, we have to get our act together and we have to do it soon."

Thrasher's new album, Inuit and Indian Country, is expected to be released by Sunshine Records sometime this fall.