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.
j'ai gardé ta photo
Tino Rossi Lyrics
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J'ai gardé la photo du bonheur
Chaque instant, j'embrassais ton image
Ton visage que déjà j'aimais tant
J'ai gardé ta photo sur mon cœur
Et j'ai fait le plus joli des rêves
J'espérais qu'il n'aurait pas de trêve
Le jour où je t'ai rencontrée c'était la fêteUn grand soleil faisait briller tes jolis yeux
Au petit bal, je t'ai serrée contre ma tête
Contre ma tête, très amoureux
Je suis rentré le soir venu dans ma chambrette
Et jusqu'au jour, rêvant à nos amours.
J'ai gardé ta photo sur mon cœur
J'ai gardé la photo du bonheur
Chaque instant, j'embrassais ton image
Ton visage que déjà j'aimais tant
J'ai gardé ta photo sur mon cœur
Et j'ai fait le plus joli des rêves
J'espérais qu'il n'aurait pas de trêve
En gardant ta photo sur mon cœur.
J'ai gardé ta photo sur mon cœur
Et j'ai fait le plus joli des rêves
J'espérais qu'il n'aurait pas de trêve
En gardant ta photo sur mon cœur.
In Tino Rossi's song "J'ai gardé ta photo," the singer discusses the power of holding onto memories through the preservation of a photo. He begins the song by stating "I kept your photo on my heart," emphasizing the closeness and importance of the memory to him. Rossi also notes that he has preserved the picture of happiness, representing the positive moments he shared with the person in the photo. He then goes on to describe how he would kiss the image, cherishing the face that he already loved so much.
The singer then reflects on the day he met the person in the photo, stating that it was a joyous occasion with a shining sun illuminating her beautiful eyes. He recalls holding her close at a small dance, deeply in love. He then states that upon returning home, he continued to dream of their love, holding onto the photo as a symbol of their relationship. The chorus repeats the line "I kept your photo on my heart" as a reminder of the importance of holding onto love and memories.
This song beautifully captures the essence of nostalgia and the power of memories. Holding onto a photo is a concrete way to preserve a memory, but it also serves as a reminder of the emotions and feelings associated with the event. Rossi's lyrics convey the intense, yet fleeting, nature of love and the importance of cherishing it while it lasts.
Line by Line Meaning
J'ai gardé ta photo sur mon cœur
I kept your photo on my heart, always close to me.
J'ai gardé la photo du bonheur
I kept the photo of happiness, the memory of us together.
Chaque instant, j'embrassais ton image
Every moment, I kissed your image, feeling your presence with me.
Ton visage que déjà j'aimais tant
Your face that I already loved so much, even before we met in person.
Et j'ai fait le plus joli des rêves
And I had the most beautiful dream, imagining a future with you by my side.
J'espérais qu'il n'aurait pas de trêve
I hoped that this dream would never end, that we would always be together.
Le jour où je t'ai rencontrée c'était la fête
The day I met you was a celebration, a moment of pure joy.
Un grand soleil faisait briller tes jolis yeux
The sun was shining bright, reflecting in your beautiful eyes.
Au petit bal, je t'ai serrée contre ma tête
At the little dance, I held you close, my head against yours.
Contre ma tête, très amoureux
Feeling very much in love, with my heart beating faster.
Je suis rentré le soir venu dans ma chambrette
When the evening came, I went back to my room.
Et jusqu'au jour, rêvant à nos amours.
And until the day I dreamed of our love, of being together forever.
En gardant ta photo sur mon cœur.
By keeping your photo on my heart, I knew that our love would never fade away.
J'ai gardé ta photo sur mon cœur
I kept your photo on my heart, always close to me.
Et j'ai fait le plus joli des rêves
And I had the most beautiful dream, imagining a future with you by my side.
J'espérais qu'il n'aurait pas de trêve
I hoped that this dream would never end, that we would always be together.
En gardant ta photo sur mon cœur.
By keeping your photo on my heart, I knew that our love would never fade away.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BEUSCHER ARPEGE
Written by: GEORGES COURQUIN (CERIMAUX), RENE DENONCIN, GINO GOMEZ (JACK LEDRU), PIERRE GUITTON, PIERRE HAVET, Georges (Cerimaux) Courquin, Gino (Jack Ledru) Gomez
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