To launch the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the death of Tino Rossi, the singer of Petit Papa Noël and “the second most famous Ajaccien in the world after Napoleon”, his hometown Ajaccio inaugurated a photographic exhibition on Thursday. Baptized “Tino Rossi: an idol for eternity”, it presents until September 20, in the open air and in free access on the town hall square, around fifteen large-format photos of the artist, taken from the archives of the Paris Match magazine.
We see in particular the singer of Marinella, If you go to Rio or Life begins at 60 alongside the singers Mireille Mathieu, Sheila or Dalida or in the company of Régine or Line Renaud at the Casino de Paris to celebrate his 50-year career in 1982.
“It is with deep emotion that we pay tribute to a timeless icon, an artist whose voice has touched our hearts and crossed generations and borders,” said Simone Guerrini, deputy mayor of Ajaccio in charge of culture. “His half-century career is dizzying: seven magazines, operettas and musicals, 31 films, 2,000 recorded songs”, detailed the chosen one, saluting “this eternal star”. “He is the second most famous Ajaccien in the world after Napoleon”, recalled Pierre Larrey, secretary general of the prefecture of Corsica.
“My family is very honored by this tribute paid today with photos that retrace a rather exceptional journey of an Ajaccien who succeeded, through his art, in making Corsica talk and in making music shine. French beyond the borders,” his grandson Constantin Rossi told AFP.
With his song Petit Papa Noël, “which is approaching 100 million records sold” and will be reissued this year “with a modern orchestration”, Tino Rossi “entered people’s hearts and never came out”, respects his grandson. He says he is “thinking about the script” of a biographical film about his grandfather to “share it with the new generations who are not necessarily aware of the epic he had to follow to have a career like that”.
“It does something to me to see us again so young,” said Alain Deliperi, a 66-year-old guitarist who played with Tino Rossi and appears alongside him in one of the photographs on display. “He would be very honored to see himself there. It goes with his character, when he came to Ajaccio and walked in the streets, simply, saying hello to everyone, ”he adds. Nicole Vannson, 75, who has lived in Ajaccio for 34 years, also dives back into her memories: “Tino Rossi was sacred, even from the depths of Lorraine where I lived, it always moved me. As a child, we sang it”.
In September, a primary school in Ajaccio will be renamed in his name. And walking tours of the city in the footsteps of the artist will be organized by the tourist office. Concerts, film screenings and conferences are planned.
Constantin said “Tino” Rossi was born on April 29, 1907 in Ajaccio and died on September 27, 1983 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. The composer Vincent Scotto, author of Vieni, vieni, one of the first successes of the Corsican singer, had launched to him in the 1930s: “If you want to last, sing love”. He was never to forget this advice and had confided, later: “I sang happy love because I find that I do more good for people than by singing unhappy love”.
