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.
Le noël des petits santons
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sommeillent les petits santons
Le berger...le rémouleur
Et l'enfant Jésus rédempteur
Le Ravi qui le vit est toujours ravi.
Les moutons en coton sont serrés au fond
Un soir alors paraît l'étoile d'or
Et tous les petits santonsQuittent la boîte de carton
Naïvement dévotement
Ils vont à Dieu porter leur voeux
Et leur chant est touchant.
Noël, joyeux Noël,
Noël joyeux de la Provence
Le berger comme autrefois
Montre le chemin aux trois Rois
Et ces Rois ont pour suivants
Des chameaux chargés de présents.
Leurs manteaux sont très beaux dorés au pinceau
Et ils ont le menton noirci au charbon
De grand matin j'ai vu passer leur train,
Ils traînaient leurs pauvres pieds
Sur les gros rochers de papier.
Naïvement dévotement
Ils vont à Dieu porter leurs voeux
Et leur chant est touchant.
Noël, joyeux Noël,
Noël joyeux de la Provence
Dans l'étable de bois blanc
Il est là le divin enfant,
Entre le boeuf au poil roux
Et le petit âne à l'oeil doux
" Les jaloux sont des fous
Humains, aimez-vous "
Mais, au matin joyeux Noël prend fin
Alors les petits santons
Regagnent la boîte en carton
Naïvement dévotement
Ils dormiront dans du coton
En rêvant du doux chant
Noël, joyeux Noël,
Noël joyeux Noël de la Provence.
Dormez chers petits santons
Dans votre boîte en carton
Noël Noël Noël
The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song "Le noël des petits santons" depict the scene of Christmas in Provence, focusing on the small figurines known as "santons" that are traditionally used in nativity scenes. The song begins with the description of the santons, who are sleeping in a cardboard box. Among them, there is the shepherd, the knife grinder, and the infant Jesus. It is mentioned that the "ravi," which means the one who is delighted, is always delighted when he sees the infant Jesus.
As the story progresses, an golden star appears one evening, and all the santons leave their cardboard box in a naive and devoted manner. They go to God to offer their wishes and sing a touching song. The second verse introduces the three Wise Men, guided by the shepherd, as they follow the star and arrive with their camels carrying gifts. It is emphasized that they have beautiful coats, painted golden, and their chins blackened with charcoal. The song further expresses that the observer has seen them early in the morning, dragging their tired feet on the papier-mâché rocks. Again, the santons go to God with their wishes and sing their touching song.
The final verse describes the divine child placed in the stable, between the red-haired ox and the gentle-eyed donkey, and the child murmurs the words "The jealous are fools, humans, love each other" in his sleep. But as the joyful morning of Christmas comes to an end, the little santons return to their cardboard box, where they will sleep surrounded by cotton, dreaming of the sweet Christmas song.
Overall, the lyrics of "Le noël des petits santons" celebrate the innocence and devotion of the santons as they join in the Christmas festivities and carry their wishes to God.
Line by Line Meaning
Dans une boîte en carton
Inside a cardboard box
Sommeillent les petits santons
The little santons are sleeping
Le berger...le rémouleur
The shepherd...the grinder
Et l'enfant Jésus rédempteur
And the child Jesus, the redeemer
Le Ravi qui le vit est toujours ravi.
The enlightened one who sees it is always delighted
Les moutons en coton sont serrés au fond
The cotton sheep are tightly packed at the bottom
Un soir alors paraît l'étoile d'or
One evening, the golden star appears
Et tous les petits santons
And all the little santons
Quittent la boîte de carton
Leave the cardboard box
Naïvement dévotement
Naively and devoutly
Ils vont à Dieu porter leur voeux
They go to God to bring their wishes
Et leur chant est touchant.
And their song is touching
Noël, joyeux Noël,
Christmas, merry Christmas
Noël joyeux de la Provence
Merry Christmas from Provence
Le berger comme autrefois
The shepherd, as in the past
Montre le chemin aux trois Rois
Shows the way to the three Kings
Et ces Rois ont pour suivants
And these Kings have as followers
Des chameaux chargés de présents.
Camels loaded with gifts.
Leurs manteaux sont très beaux dorés au pinceau
Their coats are very beautiful, gilded with a brush
Et ils ont le menton noirci au charbon
And they have their chin blackened with charcoal
De grand matin j'ai vu passer leur train,
Early in the morning, I saw their train pass by
Ils traînaient leurs pauvres pieds
They dragged their poor feet
Sur les gros rochers de papier
On the big paper rocks
Dans l'étable de bois blanc
In the white wooden stable
Il est là le divin enfant,
There is the divine child
Entre le boeuf au poil roux
Between the red-haired ox
Et le petit âne à l'oeil doux
And the little donkey with gentle eyes
Et l'enfant vagissant murmure en dormant :
And the whimpering child murmurs in sleep:
"Les jaloux sont des fous
"The jealous ones are foolish
Humains, aimez-vous "
Humans, love each other"
Mais, au matin joyeux Noël prend fin
But, in the joyful morning, Christmas comes to an end
Alors les petits santons
Then the little santons
Regagnent la boîte en carton
Return to the cardboard box
Naïvement dévotement
Naively and devoutly
Ils dormiront dans du coton
They will sleep in cotton
En rêvant du doux chant
Dreaming of the sweet song
Noël, joyeux Noël,
Christmas, merry Christmas
Noël joyeux Noël de la Provence.
Merry Christmas from Provence.
Dormez chers petits santons
Sleep, dear little santons
Dans votre boîte en carton
In your cardboard box
Noël Noël Noël
Christmas, Christmas, Christmas
Lyrics © SEMI, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: HIPPOLYTE ACKERMANS, RENE SARVIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Bonjour_de_France
Quelle merveille cette chanson ❤ Joyeux Noël à tous 🌟🎄🌟
@moniqueturquet5860
Ma chanson préférée de Noël ,trop oublié, tellement de souvenirs pour moi 💖🌲💝🌲💖🌲💖🌲🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁
@allegriam3123
J’ai toujours cette chanson en tête quand je fais la crèche ☺️ bonnes fêtes et surtout un beau et saint Noël 🎄
@stonestory9070
Merci you tube.ma maman revit ses Noël enfantin..avec ses 84 printemps..
Elle pleure!
@moniqueturquet5860
Trop oublié 😥 cette belle chanson de Noël ...🌲
SOUVENIR POUR MOI 🎁, CHANSON APPRISE 💖A L'ÉCOLE 🌹❄️
🍀👏🌟☃️
@catherineandreani2B
Quel bonheur de re entendre cette mignonne chanson
@jocelynedavid7173
J adore cette chanson de tino rossi trop beau merci 💞💞💞💞
@marcporcheddu
mon enfance , avec ma grand mère !
@angeliqueblaise9583
Très belle chanson
@colettemartin1045
Maman nous chantait cette chanson