Estatico : Judo, Cranberries, Naples and...

(Unlucky your browser do not support Java) Led by vocalist Dolores O'Riordan, whose keening, powerful voice is the most distinctive element of the group's sound, the group initially made little impact in the United Kingdom. It wasn't until the lush ballad "Linger" became an American hit in 1993 that the band also achieved mass success in the UK. Following the success of "Linger," the Cranberries quickly became international stars, as both their 1993 debut album, EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT, SO WHY CAN'T WE ? and its 1994 follow-up, NO NEED TO ARGUE, sold millions of copies and produced a string of hit singles. By the time of their third album, 1996's To the Faithful Departed, the group had added distorted guitars to its sonic pallete and attempted to make more socially significant music, which resulted in a downturn in the band's commercial fortunes. Originally, the Cranberries were a band called the Cranberry Saw Us. Brothers Noel and Mike Hogan (guitar and bass, respectively) formed the band in Limerick, Ireland with drummer Fergal Lawler in 1990. Following the departure of the group's original singer Niall, the trio placed an advertisement for a female singer. Dolores O'Riordan responded to the advertisement and auditioned by writing lyrics and melodies to some of the band's existing demos. When she returned with a rough version of "Linger," the group hired her on the spot. The Cranberries' debut album, Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We?, was released in the spring of 1993, followed by a single of "Dreams." Neither the album or the single gained much attention, nor did a second single, "Linger." In the summer and fall of 1993, the band toured the United States, opening for The The and Suede, respectively; frequently, the Cranberries were given a friendlier reception than either of the headliners. The strong live shows led to MTV putting "Linger" into heavy rotation. By the end of the year, the single was on its way to becoming a crossover hit. Eventually, the single reached number eight on the US charts, while the album went double platinum. Everybody Else and "Linger" began to take off in Britain in early 1994; the album eventually peaked at number one during the summerO'Riordan married the band's tour manager, Don Burton, in July of 1994. O'Riordan's position in the group continued to rise with the fall release of the group's second album, No Need to Argue. Boasting a slightly harder, more streamlined sound, the record debuted at number six on the US charts and eventually outsold its predecessor; within a year it went triple platinum, spawning the number one modern rock hit "Zombie" and the number eleven "Ode to My Family."The third album was called To the Faithful Departed, it was a tougher, more rock-oriented album. During the fall of 1996, the group cancelled their Australian and European tour, sparking rumors of whether O'Riordan was about to lauch a solo career. After a lengthy hiatus, in April 1999 the Cranberries released "Bury The Hatchet," their fourth album, featuring lead trucks such as "Promises", "Animal Instinct"and "Just my imagination". It has been three years since the Cranberries' last album, "To The Faithful Departed," and O'Riordan says the refueling time was essential. To keep that thing for which you first became famous, you can't force songs out,- she says. -You have to emotionally feel, 'This is the time.' I'm so much prouder of this record; there's a maturity about this one, and to be honest, however many it sells, our love for the music is still there. And we're 10 years together next year.The album was followed by the "Loud And Clear Tour" but in July 2000 the last 4 remaining shows were cancelled due to health reason, as Dolores was 4 months pregnant with her second child. (I just managed to see them !!) ESSENTIAL DISCOGRAPHY : UNCERTAIN EP - 1991 ; EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING IT, SO WHY CAN'T WE ? - 1993 ; NO NEED TO ARGUE - 1994 ; TO THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED - 1996 ; BURY THE HATCHET - 1999 ; BURY THE HATCHET- THE COMPLETE SESSIONS - 2000.

Naples is the third most populated city of Italy and the major in the south. It is favoured by its mild and constant climate (the yearly average temperature is 17 ºC), it spreads like an amphitheatre on the slope of gradually descending hills along the shores of the homonymous gulf, between the Campi Flegrei and the Vesuvius, in a scenery of peerless beauty that was sung by innumerable poets and writers (Virgil, Petrarca, Boccaccio,Tasso, Milton, Cervantes, Goethe, Byron, etc.)Because of its artistic beauties Naples is practically a museum in the open air, a privileged destination of numerous tourists.
A characteristic of Naples is also the deep contrast that you can see inside the city,where, behind big buildings with sumptuous façades looking on the main streets, there is a number of overpeopled habitations, more or less poor, concentrated in a sort of little islands separated by very narrow alleys : it is in the alleys that the typical neapolitan life develops, in a noisy and very lively atmosphere.
Along the coast, on the contrary, there is a number of luxury hotels and a wide avenue (subdivided into via Caracciolo and via Partenope) that offers a splendid view on the gulf and the Vesuvius.