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.
Marinella
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
MARINELLA!
Ah..., reste encore dans mes bras,
Avec toi je veux jusqu'au jour
Danser cette rumba d'amour
Son rythme doux
Nous emporte bien loin de tout,
Vers un pays mystérieux,
Blottie contre mon épaule
Tandis que nos mains se frôlent,
Je vois tes yeux qui m'enjôlent
D'un regard plein de douceur
Et quand nos curs se confondent
Je ne connais rien au monde
De meilleur
MARINELLA!
Ah reste encore dans mes bras
Avec toi je veux jusqu'au jour
Danser cette rumba d'amour
Quand je te tiens là, sur mon cur,
Pour moi c'est un tel bonheur
Qu'aucun mot ne peut l'exprimer.
Tout mon être est transformé
Et je voudrais que ce moment
Qui me trouble éperdûment
Se prolonge éternellement
{Refrain}
Quand le soleil se lèvera
Je sais que tu partiras
Et que notre roman joli
A jamais sera fini
Oui, mais avant, comme autrefois,
Viens vite tout près de moi
Et pour une dernière fois
{Refrain}
The song Marinella by Tino Rossi is a romantic and passionate tribute to a woman named Marinella. In the refrain, the singer pleads for Marinella to stay in his arms, wanting to dance an "rumba d'amour" with her until daybreak. The rhythm of the rumba takes them to a mysterious land, the beautiful land of blue dreams. The singer describes Marinella as being nestled against his shoulder, her eyes full of sweetness and her hands touching his, as they become lost in the music and the moment. When their hearts become one, the singer believes that there is nothing better in the world than this.
The verses describe the transformation that the singer undergoes when he holds Marinella close to his heart. He feels a happiness that cannot be expressed in words, and he wishes that the moment could last forever. However, he knows that when the sun rises, she will have to leave and their beautiful love story will come to an end. Despite this, he asks her to stay close to him for one last time and dance the rumba of love.
Line by Line Meaning
MARINELLA!
The singer calls out to Marinella, expressing his desire for her to stay in his arms and dance the romantic rumba with him.
Ah..., reste encore dans mes bras,
The singer asks Marinella to stay with him, tightly embraced in his arms.
Avec toi je veux jusqu'au jour
The singer wants to be with Marinella until the end of time.
Danser cette rumba d'amour
The singer wants to dance the passionate rumba of love with Marinella.
Son rythme doux
The soft rhythm of the rumba carries them far away from everything else.
Nous emporte bien loin de tout,
The music takes them to a mysterious land, the beautiful land of blue dreams.
Vers un pays mystérieux,
They dance while Marinella rests her head on the singer's shoulder, their hands brushing against each other, and her eyes enchant the singer.
Le beau pays des rêves bleus
As their hearts merge, the singer feels like there is nothing in the world better than this moment.
Blottie contre mon épaule
Marinella is cuddled up against the singer's shoulder.
Tandis que nos mains se frôlent,
As they dance, their hands touch and brush against each other.
Je vois tes yeux qui m'enjôlent
The singer sees the enchanting look in Marinella's eyes.
D'un regard plein de douceur
Marinella looks at the singer with a gentle and soft expression.
Et quand nos curs se confondent
As their hearts become one, the singer feels overwhelmed and entranced.
Je ne connais rien au monde
The singer feels like there is nothing in the world better than this moment.
De meilleur
There is nothing better than this moment with Marinella.
Quand je te tiens là, sur mon cur,
When the singer holds Marinella close to his heart, it brings him an indescribable joy.
Pour moi c'est un tel bonheur
Having Marinella close to his heart gives him immense happiness.
Qu'aucun mot ne peut l'exprimer.
The singer feels so happy that no words can express his feelings.
Tout mon être est transformé
Having Marinella in his arms transforms the singer's whole being.
Et je voudrais que ce moment
The singer wishes he could stay in this moment forever.
Qui me trouble éperdûment
The overwhelming feeling of being with Marinella is almost too much for the singer to bear.
Se prolonge éternellement
The singer wants this moment to last for an eternity.
Quand le soleil se lèvera
When the sun rises, the singer knows that Marinella will have to leave him.
Je sais que tu partiras
The singer is aware that Marinella will have to leave him.
Et que notre roman joli
Their beautiful romance will come to an end.
A jamais sera fini
Their romance will be over forever.
Oui, mais avant, comme autrefois,
But before Marinella leaves, the singer wants to spend one more romantic moment with her, just like they used to.
Viens vite tout près de moi
The singer asks Marinella to come close to him one last time.
Et pour une dernière fois
For the last time, the singer wants to dance the rumba of love with Marinella.
Contributed by Landon R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
O. LACRIMA
“Marinella !
Ah, reste encore dans mes bras,
Avec toi je veux jusqu’au jour
Danser cette rumba d’amour
Son rythme doux
Nous emporte bien loin de tout,
Vers un pays mystérieux,
Le beau pays des rêves bleus.
Blottie contre mon épaule
Tandis que nos mains se frôlent,
Je vois tes yeux qui m’enjôlent
D’un regard plein de douceur.
Et quand nos cœurs se confondent
Je ne connais rien au monde
De meilleur.”
Le Johnny des Aravis du pays de Savoie
Une superbe voix et à l'époque ils n'avaient pas la technique de nos jours pour corriger les défauts. c'est d'une justesse incroyable. Bravo
JCS
Absolument.
Patrice Nyassa
Ces belles paroles de Tino dorment dans mon cœur, elles me bercent et me font aimer la vie.
J. Jorge D. T.
Dedicada a mi padre que falleció en febrero de 2019. Le encantaba Tino.
Amadeus Gabriel Moyano Manchon
Yo también la escucho por mis abuelos. Somos franco-argentinos, recuerdo que aprendí el francés, en parte, con sus canciones.
Bettina Segala
Un chanteur que j’avais la joie d’écouter avec mes grands parents, tous heureux…
Francisca Fernández Sanz
En español
Jean-Michel JOFFRES
Quelle voix superbe!
loulou 69 0105
Une voix inoubliable...
Jules Boudreau
Une voix unique… Il était le chanteur préféré de ma mère, quand elle était jeune fille… Enfin, c'est elle qui me l'a dit, je n'en étais pas témoin…