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.
Il est né le divin enfant
Tino Rossi Lyrics
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Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Il est né le divin enfant
Chantons tous son avènement
Depuis plus de quatre mille ans
Nous le promettaient les prophètes
Depuis plus de quatre mille ans
Il est né le divin enfant
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Il est né le divin enfant
Chantons tous son avènement
Une étable est son logement
Un peu de paille est sa couchette
Une étable est son logement
Pour un Dieu quel abaissement
Il est né le divin enfant
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Il est né le divin enfant
Chantons tous son avènement
Partez ô rois de l'orient
Venez vous unir à nos fêtes
Partez ô rois de l'orient
Venez adorer cet enfant
Il est né le divin enfant
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Il est né le divin enfant
Chantons tous son avènement
Ô Jésus, ô Roi tout puissant
Tout petit enfant que vous êtes
Ô Jésus, ô Roi tout puissant
Régnez sur nous entièrement
Il est né le divin enfant
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Il est né le divin enfant
Chantons tous son avènement
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song "Il est né le divin enfant" celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, portraying him as a divine child for whom the world has been waiting for thousands of years. The song begins by calling for the high oboe and the resonating bagpipes to play, signaling the joyous arrival of the divine child. The lyrics emphasize the anticipation and the fulfillment of the prophecies made by prophets over the course of four thousand years. The divine child is born in a humble stable, with a little straw as his crib. The song highlights the humility and the extraordinary nature of this event, pointing to the paradox of a God being born in such lowly circumstances. The final verse invites the kings from the East (the three wise men) to join in the celebration and adore the child. The song concludes with a plea for Jesus, the all-powerful king, to fully reign over the hearts of his followers.
Line by Line Meaning
Il est né le divin enfant
The divine child has been born
Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes
Play oboes, sound bagpipes
Chantons tous son avènement
Let us all sing of his coming
Depuis plus de quatre mille ans
For over four thousand years
Nous le promettaient les prophètes
The prophets promised him to us
Nous attendions cet heureux temps
We have been waiting for this joyful time
Une étable est son logement
A stable is his dwelling
Un peu de paille est sa couchette
A little straw is his bed
Pour un Dieu quel abaissement
For a God, what humility
Partez ô rois de l'orient
Go, oh kings of the East
Venez vous unir à nos fêtes
Come, join our celebrations
Venez adorer cet enfant
Come and worship this child
Ô Jésus, ô Roi tout puissant
Oh Jesus, oh all-powerful King
Tout petit enfant que vous êtes
Though you are a very small child
Régnez sur nous entièrement
Reign over us completely
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Traditional
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind