Tino Rossi (April 29, 1907 - September 26, 1983) was a singer and film acto… Read Full Bio ↴Tino Rossi (April 29, 1907 - September 26, 1983) was a singer and film actor.

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.

O Mia Bella Napoli
Tino Rossi Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Naples s'étend comme une amoureuse
Au pied du Vésuve au c?ur de feu...
Sa baie s'ouvre joyeuse
Au souffle des flots bleus...
Parmi les frissons des mandolines,
Sur le port à l'ombre des maisons,
L'écho des voix câlines
Soupire une chanson...

Refrain :
O mia bella Napoli,
Pays au clair séjour,
O mia bella Napoli,
Garde-moi pour toujours...
L'amant que ton parfum grisa,
Santa Lucia,
Pas même un soir ne t'oubliera.
Tant qu'il vivra...
O mia bella Napoli,
Au gré du vent qui court,
O mia bella Napoli,
Je veux bercer mes jours
Et vivre sous tes verts cyprès
A tout jamais...
O mia bella Napoli,
Pays d'amour.

Quand je me souviens de l'heure brève
Où mon c?ur si vite se donna,
Dans ce décor de rêve,
A l'ombre de tes bras,
Lorsqu'en moi le souvenir sommeille,
Cette mélodie vient de là-bas...
Et je redis tout bas...

Refrain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tino Rossi's song "Bella bella Donna" describe the beauty and charm of the city of Naples in Italy. The singer compares Naples to a passionate lover, extending itself at the foot of the fiery Mount Vesuvius. The joyful bay of Naples opens up to the breath of the blue waves. In this picturesque setting, amidst the enchanting sounds of mandolins and the shadows of the houses by the harbor, the sweet voices echo and sigh a song.

The refrain of the song praises the city of Naples, referring to it as "O mia bella Napoli" (Oh my beautiful Naples). The singer asks the city to keep him forever, as he compares the intoxicating fragrance of Naples to the enchanting Santa Lucia. He promises that as long as he lives, he will never forget the lover whom Naples has enchanted. He expresses his desire to spend his days and live forever under the green cypresses of Naples, which is portrayed as a land of love.

The second verse reminisces about a brief moment when the singer's heart quickly surrendered in the dreamlike setting of Naples. The memory of that moment still lingers within him, and whenever it sleeps within his soul, the melody of the song arises from the depths of his heart. He softly repeats his love for Naples, echoing the refrain.

Overall, the lyrics of "Bella bella Donna" by Tino Rossi paint a romantic portrayal of the beauty and allure of Naples, expressing the singer's desire to be forever entwined with the city and its passionate atmosphere.

Line by Line Meaning

Naples s'étend comme une amoureuse
Naples stretches like a lover

Au pied du Vésuve au cœur de feu...
At the foot of Mount Vesuvius, with a heart of fire...

Sa baie s'ouvre joyeuse
Its bay opens joyfully

Au souffle des flots bleus...
To the breath of the blue waves...

Parmi les frissons des mandolines,
Among the tremors of mandolins,

Sur le port à l'ombre des maisons,
On the port, in the shadow of the houses,

L'écho des voix câlines
The echo of tender voices

Soupire une chanson...
Sighs a song...