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.
Destins
Tino Rossi Lyrics
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La neige étend son manteau blanc
Et les yeux levés vers le ciel, à genoux
Les petits enfants
Avant de fermer les paupières
Font une dernière prière
Petit Papa Noël Quand tu descendras du ciel
Avec des jouets par milliers
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier
Mais, avant de partir
Il faudra bien te couvrir
Dehors, tu vas avoir si froid
C'est un peu à cause de moi
Il me tarde tant que le jour se lève
Pour voir si tu m'as apporté
Tous les beaux joujoux que je vois en rêve
Et que je t'ai commandés
Petit Papa Noël
Quand tu descendras du ciel
Avec des jouets par milliers
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier
Le marchand de sable est passé
Les enfants vont faire dodo
Et tu vas pouvoir commencer
Avec ta hotte sur le dos
Au son des cloches des églises
Ta distribution de surprises
Viens d'abord sur notre maison
Je n'ai pas été tous les jours très sage
Mais j'en demande pardon
Petit Papa Noël
Quand tu descendras du ciel
Avec des jouets par milliers
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier
Petit Papa Noël
The lyrics to Tino Rossi's song, "Destins," is a melancholic reflection on life's unpredictable path. In the verses, the singer muses on the various twists and turns of fate, wondering why things have happened the way they have. He compares life to a river, flowing onward no matter what happens. He acknowledges that everyone has their own destiny, and that it is impossible to know what the future holds. The chorus expresses a longing for a simpler time, when the singer was younger and had more innocence and optimism. However, he accepts that life is a journey, and that he must continue to move forward. The song ultimately ends on a note of hope, with the singer expressing a belief that one day he will find his way home.
Overall, the lyrics to "Destins" convey a sense of nostalgia, regret, and a yearning for something lost. The song is a poignant reminder that life is full of ups and downs, and that we must learn to accept both the good and the bad. It is a beautiful tribute to the human experience, and a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope.
Line by Line Meaning
C'est la belle nuit de Noël
It's a beautiful Christmas night
La neige étend son manteau blanc
The snow covers everything in white
Et les yeux levés vers le ciel, à genoux
And with eyes up to the sky, on their knees
Les petits enfants
The little children
Avant de fermer les paupières
Before closing their eyelids
Font une dernière prière
They say their final prayers
Petit Papa Noël
Little Father Christmas
Quand tu descendras du ciel
When you descend from the sky
Avec des jouets par milliers
With thousands of toys
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier
Don't forget my little shoe
Mais, avant de partir
But before you leave
Il faudra bien te couvrir
You'll need to wrap up warm
Dehors, tu vas avoir si froid
It's so cold outside
C'est un peu à cause de moi
It's partly my fault
Il me tarde tant que le jour se lève
I can't wait for the day to break
Pour voir si tu m'as apporté
To see if you've brought me
Tous les beaux joujoux que je vois en rêve
All the beautiful toys I dream of
Et que je t'ai commandés
And that I ordered from you
Le marchand de sable est passé
The sandman has come
Les enfants vont faire dodo
The children are going to sleep
Et tu vas pouvoir commencer
And you can start
Avec ta hotte sur le dos
With your sack over your back
Au son des cloches des églises
To the sound of church bells
Ta distribution de surprises
Spreading your surprises
Et quand tu seras sur ton beau nuage
And when you're on your beautiful cloud
Viens d'abord sur notre maison
Come first to our house
Je n'ai pas été tous les jours très sage
I haven't been good every day
Mais j'en demande pardon
But I ask for forgiveness
Petit Papa Noël
Little Father Christmas
Quand tu descendras du ciel
When you descend from the sky
Avec des jouets par milliers
With thousands of toys
N'oublie pas mon petit soulier
Don't forget my little shoe
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Henri Alexandre Leon Martinet, Raymond Henri Ovanessian
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind