All the Gods who dwelt on Mountain Olympos gave her a gift. — Hesiod, Theogony and Works & Days, 7th and 6th century BCE

PANDORA music album by Lina Palera is a musical journey to the creation of the first woman on earth, one of the oldest myths of the ancient world: Pandora’s myth. An amazing collaboration between SEIKILO affiliate artists—Lina Palera, the virtuoso lyre player, brings together a group of exceptional musicians to accompany her on an attempt to explore an everlasting theodicy musically.

_In a nutshell _ancient world music _contemporary fusion _lyre improvisations _epic music

_About the Greek myth of Pandora
In the Greek myth of Pandora lies the birth of theodicy, an unsolvable problem for any religion that supports the existence of an omnibenevolent God, as the Greeks were the first to present females as the root of evil on earth.
As Hesiod wrote in his Theogony and Works & Days, in the 7th and 6th century BCE, “Hephaestus mixed earth with water and formed the likeness of a shy maiden. Pallas Athena adorned her form with all manners of finesse. Golden Aphrodite shed grace upon her head. Hermes, the Herald of the gods, put speech in her. All the Gods who dwelt on Mountain Olympos gave her a gift. And they called this woman Pandora (All-Gifts). And wonder took hold of the deathless gods and mortal men when they saw that which was sheer guile, not to be withstood by men. From her is the race of women and female kind: of her is the deadly race and tribe of women who live amongst mortal men to their great trouble.”
However, then came Sappho, one of the greatest lyric poets, known as the ‘Tenth Muse’ and ‘The Poetess.’ Many others followed, shaping the course of history—Aspasia of Miletus, Agnodice of Athens, Hipparchia of Marneia, Arete of Cyrene, Hydna of Scione, and Telesilla of Argos. Then there was Hypatia, the philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, the last head of the Philosophical School of Alexandria and keeper of the famous library.
With them, gods and men alike learned to love and adore the race and tribe of women—the Mothers, the Daughters, the Lovers, the Equals, the Muses; the root of all creation on earth.

_Songs’ list
one_ lux. her first steps two_ metavasis. coming to earth three_ valorous. encountering men four_ pandora. seduce five_ mummer’s dance. opening the lid six_ aide mousa. sing to me, kind Muse seven_ kalliopeia sofa. favor me with your presence eight_ agápē. the root of creation bonus track_ marco polo. the explorer

Tracks six and seven are ancient evocations to the Muse and to Apollo & Calliope, respectively, written by Mesomedes of Crete in the 2nd century CE, with music composed by Lina Palera. Track five and the bonus track are covers of Loreena McKennitt’s Mummer’s Dance and Marco Polo.

_Artists
Lina Palera _ancient lyre (all) Evagoras Bekiaris _beats and electronics (all) Socrates Votskos _duduk and flute (2 & 3) Nikos Varelas _percussion (5 & bonus track) Marios Podaras_violin (bonus track) Linos Tzelos _sitar (5) Theodore Koumartzis _ancient lyre (8)

_Production team
Art Direction Nikolaos Koumartzis
Production, Mixing, Mastering Evagoras Bekiaris
Photography Eri Avramidou
Supported by LUTHIEROS Musical Instruments
Special thanks to SEIKILO Ancient World Music Channel