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.
Sérénade à Lena
Tino Rossi Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh ! toi, Léna, la plus exquise
Pourquoi me repousser toujours,
Le jour se meurt et dans Venise
Monte comme un tendre parfum d’amour,
R.
Léna, ma sérénadeS’élève dans le soir.
Et tente l’escalade
D’un rêve plein d’espoir
Enfin ton coeur s’évade
Des souvenirs enfuis.
Pour toi ma sérénade
Vient chanter dans la nuit.
2
Ce soir, partout sur la lagune
Des songes bleus se sont posés
Chacun retrouve sa chacune
Sous la chanson ardente des baisers
R.
Léna, ma sérénade
S’élève dans le soir.
Et tente l’escalade
D’un rêve plein d’espoir
Enfin ton coeur s’évade
Des souvenirs enfuis.
Pour toi ma sérénade
Vient chanter dans la nuit.
3Ta main tremble un peu dans la mienne
Tu viens te blottir près de moi.
Enfin, tes lèvres m’appartiennent,
Tes yeux si doux me disent ton émoi.
R.
Léna, ma sérénade
S’élève dans le soir.
Et tente l’escalade
D’un rêve plein d’espoir
Enfin ton coeur s’évade
Des souvenirs enfuis.
Pour toi ma sérénade
Vient chanter dans la nuit.
Tino Rossi's "Serenade A Lena" is a romantic song that has a story of a man who is in love with Lena, but she keeps rejecting him. The song starts with the man telling Lena, the most exquisite woman, that she always keeps pushing him away. As the day ends in Venice, there is a tender scent of love that rises, but Lena won't give in. The chorus talks about the man's serenade for Lena that goes up in the evening, reaches for a dream full of hope, and finally makes Lena's heart escape from the forgotten memories.
In the second verse, the man talks about how the blue dreams settle everywhere on the lake. It is said that people find their loved ones under the song of energetic kisses. The chorus repeats itself, where the man talks about how his serenade is for Lena and how his feelings are deeply rooted in hope. In the final verse, Lena trembles and falls into the man's arms, and finally, her heart speaks up. Lena's lips tell the man all her secrets, and her eyes show him her emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh ! toi, Léna, la plus exquise
Pourquoi me repousser toujours,
Le jour se meurt et dans Venise
Monte comme un tendre parfum d’amour,
Addressing Léna, the most exquisite of all, the singer wonders why she always pushes him away. As the day comes to an end in Venice, a gentle scent of love rises.
Ce soir, partout sur la lagune
Des songes bleus se sont posés
Chacun retrouve sa chacune
Sous la chanson ardente des baisers
Tonight, blue dreams have landed all over the lagoon. Every lover is reunited under the passionate song of kisses.
Ta main tremble un peu dans la mienne
Tu viens te blottir près de moi.
Enfin, tes lèvres m’appartiennent,
Tes yeux si doux me disent ton émoi.
Lena's hand trembles a little in the singer's hand, as she snuggles up close to him. Finally, her lips belong to him, and her sweet eyes reveal her feelings.
Léna, ma sérénade
S’élève dans le soir.
Et tente l’escalade
D’un rêve plein d’espoir
Enfin ton coeur s’évade
Des souvenirs enfuis.
Pour toi ma sérénade
Vient chanter dans la nuit.
The singer's serenade rises in the night, attempting to climb the ladder of a hopeful dream. Finally, Lena's heart escapes from her buried memories. His serenade comes to sing in the night for her.
Lyrics © EDITIONS FORTIN
Written by: Henri VARNA, VINCENT SCOTTO, MARC CAB
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@josephcastellani9981
Bonjour merci pour cette très belle sérénade cha nteé par ce cher Tino
@TenorDmitry
Ive heard it once as a child on a Radio, and fell in love. Ive just remembered the word "serenade" and nothing more. And now, after so many years Ive found it!!! Thanks, I'm so happy! :)
@princesskourouma5622
J'adore depuis toute petite alors que j'ai 28ans!!!!