Anthology

By David Moye

The recent Japanese earthquakes had an effect on millions of people – including musician and songwriter extraordinaire Raul Midon.

Midon was set to perform six shows in Japan and went there in the aftermath of the big quake.

“But when I was there, we had a 6.2 quake, and then there was a third explosion and I realized I didn’t want to expose other people to radiation and put them in jeopardy,” Midon said.

So he canceled the shows – and took a big hit financially in order to return home where he felt safe.

“I thought I might have problems getting out of Tokyo, but we didn’t,” he said.

Thank goodness for San Diego music fans, because Midon will be performing at Anthology on April 8, but he isn’t giving up on Japan.

“It’s a very good market for me,” he said. “I will be back.”

For people not familiar with Midon, a little summary may be in order: Midon, 45, is a guitarist and singer-songwriter who astonishes audience for both the high quality of his songs, which range from bossa nova to rock to jazz and his ability to sing, play guitar and bongos at the same and to mimic the trumpet with his mouth.

Starting out, worked with artists like Shakira, Alejandro Sanz, Julio Iglesias and Jose Feliciano, but he has been an acclaimed artist since the release of his 2005 debut album, “State of Mind,” which featured guest performances by Jason Mraz and Stevie Wonder.

The Anthology shows represent a culmination of sorts. It will be the end of year-long tour promoting his third album “Synthesis.” Midon made his Anthology release to celebrate the debut and Friday’s performance will allow fans who were wowed by those shows before (including me!) to see how they’ve progressed.

It will also represent the beginning of a break for him.

“I do write on the road,” he said. “Not because I want to, but because I have to. After this gig, I will be home and hope to use that time to work on new songs.”

Midon is a master of the traditional song form, and admits that there’s always the risk of making something that sounds too similar to something old, he says the craft of composing is always new. “Every time you create, there’s new ground somewhere,” he said.