Ngak'chang Rinpoche in Newquay, Cornwall, age 17

Ngak’chang Rinpoche (sNgags ‘chang rin po che / སྔགས་འཆང་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་) at the age of 17 in the Summer of 1969 with Helen McGilvray in Newquay, Cornwall. This was the time when Ngak’chang Rinpoche met John Martyn and played at the same Folk and Blues club as ‘warm-up’. This is recounted as a chapter in ‘an odd boy’ Volume II and ‘Goodbye Forever’ Volume I.

Ngak’chang Rinpoche’s early life as a Blues performer is little known — but of interest to anyone who finds the interface between Vajrayana and the Arts inspiring.

When Ngak’chang Rinpoche met Kyabjé Düd’jom Rinpoche Jig’drèl Yeshé Dorje for the first time in October 1971 — he was advised never to abandon any of the Arts with which he had engaged before setting out for the Himalayas — particularly performing Blues. Ngak’chang Rinpoche took that counsel and has continued to write poetry and to plays Blues. There is now a sangha Blues Band in which he is the harp player (Blues harmonica).