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.
Mon chant d'amour
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Parmi les flots mouvants.
Il est un coin merveilleux
Fait pour la joie des yeux.
Le soir, sous les palmiers immenses
Dès que descend la nuit,
Les femmes, les chansons, les danses,
Tout vous prend, vous séduit.
R. TAHITI
Pays d'amour
TAHITI
Divin séjour
Je revois
Tes rivages que j'adore
Tes grands bois,
Tes flots que le soleil dore
TAHITI
Site enchanteur
TAHITI
Aux mille fleurs
Sous tes cieux
Je veux revenir encore
À mes yeux
Tu es le seul paradis
TAHITI.
Dans tes forêts, j'ai connu
Maliouti aux seins nus ;
Celle qui sut me griser
De ses ardents baisers.
Depuis aux quatre coins de monde
Mon cœur s'est promené
Sans retrouver les joies profondes
R. TAHITI
Pays d'amour
TAHITI
Divin séjour
Je revois
Tes rivages que j'adore
Tes grands bois,
Tes flots que le soleil dore
TAHITI
Site enchanteur
TAHITI
Aux mille fleurs
Sous tes cieux
Je veux revenir encore
À mes yeux
Tu es le seul paradis
TAHITI.
The lyrics to Tino Rossi's song "Chants de Noël" depict a longing for the enchanting paradise of Tahiti. The first verse describes the beauty of this distant land, located across the ocean among the moving waves. It is portrayed as a wonderful corner of the world that brings joy to the eyes. As night falls, under the immense palm trees, the women, the songs, and the dances capture and seduce everyone in their enchanting charm.
The chorus exclaims "Tahiti, land of love, Tahiti, divine sojourn." The singer reminisces about the shores he adores, the vast woods, and the sun-kissed waves. Tahiti is described as an enchanting site with a thousand flowers, a place where the singer wants to return to, for it is the only paradise in his eyes.
In the second verse, the singer recalls a passionate encounter in the forests of Tahiti with a woman named Maliouti, who had bare breasts. He remembers being intoxicated by her ardent kisses. Since that moment, the singer's heart has roamed the four corners of the world, searching for the profound joys that Tahiti once provided, but it has failed to find them.
Overall, the lyrics of "Chants de Noël" express a deep longing for Tahiti, portraying it as a paradise of love and beauty that captivates and leaves an indelible mark on the singer's heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Tout là-bas sur l'Océan,
In a distant place, across the Ocean,
Parmi les flots mouvants.
Among the moving waves.
Il est un coin merveilleux
There is a marvelous place
Fait pour la joie des yeux.
Made for the delight of the eyes.
Le soir, sous les palmiers immenses
At evening, beneath the enormous palm trees
Dès que descend la nuit,
As soon as the night descends,
Les femmes, les chansons, les danses,
The women, the songs, the dances,
Tout vous prend, vous séduit.
Everything captures you, seduces you.
R. TAHITI
R. TAHITI
Pays d'amour
Land of love
TAHITI
TAHITI
Divin séjour
Divine abode
Je revois
I remember
Tes rivages que j'adore
Your shores that I adore
Tes grands bois,
Your great forests,
Tes flots que le soleil dore
Your waves that the sun gilds
TAHITI
TAHITI
Site enchanteur
Enchanting place
TAHITI
TAHITI
Aux mille fleurs
With a thousand flowers
Sous tes cieux
Under your heavens
Je veux revenir encore
I want to come back again
À mes yeux
In my eyes
Tu es le seul paradis
You are the only paradise
TAHITI.
TAHITI.
Dans tes forêts, j'ai connu
In your forests, I knew
Maliouti aux seins nus ;
Maliouti with bare breasts;
Celle qui sut me griser
She who knew how to intoxicate me
De ses ardents baisers.
With her passionate kisses.
Depuis aux quatre coins de monde
Since then, to the four corners of the world
Mon cœur s'est promené
My heart has wandered
Sans retrouver les joies profondes
Without finding the deep joys
Qu'un jour tu m'as données.
That you gave me one day.
R. TAHITI
R. TAHITI
Pays d'amour
Land of love
TAHITI
TAHITI
Divin séjour
Divine abode
Je revois
I remember
Tes rivages que j'adore
Your shores that I adore
Tes grands bois,
Your great forests,
Tes flots que le soleil dore
Your waves that the sun gilds
TAHITI
TAHITI
Site enchanteur
Enchanting place
TAHITI
TAHITI
Aux mille fleurs
With a thousand flowers
Sous tes cieux
Under your heavens
Je veux revenir encore
I want to come back again
À mes yeux
In my eyes
Tu es le seul paradis
You are the only paradise
TAHITI.
TAHITI.
Lyrics © EDITIONS FORTIN
Written by: VINCENT SCOTTO, KOGER GEO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marie-linecourtey2382
J’adore ! Quel talent avait Vincent Scotto ! Sans parler de l’interprétation de Tino Rossi!
@MR-ck4le
oui juste sublime un enchantement pour les oreilles