Steve Vanlandingham

Steve grew up in Oklahoma and began playing the guitar in college, learning the blues and ragtime styles of Mississippi John Hurt, Elizabeth Cotton and other early folk musicians. He took up the 5-string banjo, inspired by the music of the Appalachian Mountains, and learned the claw-hammer styles of Uncle Dave Macon, Grandpa Jones and others. One thing led to another and before long Steve had traced the roots of American Traditional music to Ireland and deeply immersed himself in Celtic music on a variety of string instruments.

Along the way he studied archaeology and received a BA from the University of Oklahoma in 1978. When not on an archaeological survey, Steve plays guitar, bouzouki, mandolin, 4 and 5-stringed banjos, and various percussion instruments. He even occasionally sings… Steve founded Oklahoma’s premier Celtic band, “Banish Misfortune,” in 1980. Popular with adults and children, they toured and performed in conjunction with the State Arts Council. He currently performs with Arabesque a duo that blends Celtic, Arabic, Judeo-Spanish, Turkish, and other world folk traditions.