Tino Rossi (April 29, 1907 - September 26, 1983) was a singer and film acto… Read Full Bio ↴Tino Rossi (April 29, 1907 - September 26, 1983) was a singer and film actor.

Born Constantino Rossi in Ajaccio, Corsica, France, he became a tenor of French cabaret and one of the great romantic idols of his time. Gifted with an operatic voice, a "Latin Lover" persona made him a movie star as well. Over his career, Rossi made hundreds of records and appeared in more than 25 films, the most notable of which was the 1953 production, Si Versailles m'était conté directed by Sacha Guitry. His romantic ballads had women swooning and his art-songs by Jules Massenet (1842-1912), Reynaldo Hahn (1875-1947), and other composers helped draw sold out audiences wherever he performed.

As a young man, he played guitar and sang at a variety of small venues in his hometown of Ajaccio before going on to perform in Marseilles and at resort clubs along the French Riviera. In the early 1930s he went to Paris and within a few years achieved enormous success, joining a Columbia Records roster that included the biggest stars of the day such as Lucienne Boyer, Damia, Pills et Tabet, Mireille, and Jean Sablon.

Rossi's success was greatly aided by songwriter Vincent Scotto (1876-1952), who wrote his first hits and collaborated with him for many years, composing and arranging many Rossi songs. Prior to World War II. Rossi was a major box office attraction in the French speaking world but expanded his audience to America with a 1938 visit followed up by wartime tours across the USA and Canada. In 1946, his song "Petit Papa Noël" sold more than thirty million copies worldwide. A Christmas classic for the family, the song still sells by the thousands each Yuletide season. The recipient of many musical awards, including the prestigious Grand Prix du Disque, Tino Rossi is the most popular personality to ever come from Corsica other than Napoleon Bonaparte.

In 1947 he married Lilia Vetti, a young dancer he met while making a film. They would have a son together in a marriage that lasted for a lifetime. A star of film and the operetta scene, Tino Rossi's career also evolved into the television era, appearing in a number of popular variety shows. Age, and the advent of rock and roll in the 1960s saw him take backstage with the new generation of music lovers but he remained enormously popular with a following built up over fifty years of performing.

In 1982, for his contribution to France and its culture, President François Mitterrand named Tino Rossi a Commander of the Legion of Honor. That same year Rossi gave his last public performance at the Casino de Paris, a show that popular demand turned into a three month stint.

Tino Rossi died of pancreatic cancer in 1983 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, France. His body returned to his native Ajaccio for burial in the family plot at the local cemetery. His hometown named a street and the sailing harbor in his honor and at Nogent-sur-Marne, on the River Marne in Paris, there is a square named Tino Rossi Square.

Chanson Pour L'auvergnat
Tino Rossi Lyrics

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Ô Nina, vois le soleil rayonne,
Et le ciel est bleu comme tes yeux
Si tu veux, sans le dire à personne,
Dans ma barque, partons tous les deux ;
Nous chercherons dans les rochers
Un petit coin pour nous cacher
Et lorsque descendra la nuit
Loin des jaloux et loin du bruit

R. Ce soir Nina (sifflé…)
Comme on s'aim'ra (sifflé…)
Je pourrai te griser
De folles caresses
Et m'enivrer du parfum de ta jeunesse
Ce soir Nina (sifflé……)
Oui tu verras (sifflé……)
Tous les deux
Nous vivrons l'heure enchanteresse
Je t'aurai dans mes bras Nina !

Enlacés devant la mer immense,
Si tu le veux nous ne dirons rien
Et j'écouterai dans le silence,
Ton cœur battre tout contre le mien.
Puis, seuls, sous la voûte des cieux
Dans ce décor mystérieux,
Sous mes longs baisers passionnés,
Je veux te sentir frissonner…

R. Ce soir Nina (sifflé…)
Comme on s'aim'ra (sifflé…)
Je pourrai te griser
De folles caresses
Et m'enivrer du parfum de ta jeunesse

Ce soir Nina (sifflé……)
Oui tu verras (sifflé……)
Tous les deux nous vivrons l'heure enchanteresse
Je t'aurai dans mes bras Nina !

Overall Meaning

The song, "Chanson pour Nina" by Tino Rossi is a love song that speaks of a couple named Nina and the singer who plan to leave together in a boat and find a secluded spot among the rocks where they can spend the night together away from prying eyes and distractions. The lyrics are filled with romantic imagery and speak of the desire to live in the moment with the person you love. The sun is shining, the sky is blue like Nina's eyes, and they plan to spend the night listening to each other's hearts beat against each other.

The song paints the picture of two lovers wrapped in each other's arms under the vast sky and in the presence of the vast ocean. It is a perfect moment where nothing else matters except for the two people sharing an unexplainable connection. The lyrics emphasize the intimacy between the couple, with the singer expressing his desire to intoxicate himself with her fragrance and feel her shiver under his passionate kisses.

Overall, "Chanson pour Nina" is a song about passionate love, intimacy, and the desire to live in the moment with the person you love. It speaks of the profound connection between two people that allows them to transcend time and space to be with each other.

Line by Line Meaning

Ô Nina, vois le soleil rayonne,
Oh Nina, see how the sun shines,

Et le ciel est bleu comme tes yeux
And the sky is blue like your eyes

Si tu veux, sans le dire à personne,
If you want, without telling anyone,

Dans ma barque, partons tous les deux ;
In my boat, let's go together;

Nous chercherons dans les rochers
We will look in the rocks

Un petit coin pour nous cacher
A small spot for us to hide

Et lorsque descendra la nuit
And when the night falls

Loin des jaloux et loin du bruit
Far from the jealous and away from the noise

Ce soir Nina (sifflé…)
Tonight Nina (whistling...)

Comme on s'aim'ra (sifflé…)
How we will love each other (whistling...)

Je pourrai te griser
I can make you dizzy