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The city of Ajaccio inaugurated a photographic exhibition last Thursday to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the passing of Tino Rossi, renowned singer and “the second most famous individual from Ajaccio in the world after Napoleon.”
The exhibition titled Tino Rossi: An Idol for Eternity will be displayed until September 20 in the town’s main square. It is an outdoor exhibition, and access is free of charge. It features a selection of approximately fifteen large-format photographs of the artist, sourced from the archives of Paris-Match magazine. The images show the singer, celebrated for hit songs such as Marinella and Si tu vas à Rio, alongside notable musical figures such as Mireille Mathieu, Sheila, Dalida, Régine, and Line Renaud.
“It is with profound emotion that we pay tribute to a timeless icon, an artist whose voice has touched our hearts and transcended both generations and borders,” emphasized Simone Guerrini, the Deputy Mayor of Ajaccio in charge of culture.
The magnitude of Rossi’s career is staggering, with seven reviews, operettas, and musicals, 31 films, and 2,000 recorded songs, Guerrini detailed, praising this “eternal star.”
Secretary General of the Prefecture of Corsica Pierre Larrey recalled Rossi’s emblematic status, characterizing him as “the second most famous individual from Ajaccio in the world after Napoleon.”
Rossi’s grandson Constantin Rossi expressed the honor this tribute gave his family, underscoring his grandfather’s considerable impact on French music. “He entered people’s hearts and never left,” he said.
A potential biographical film about the singer might also be in the works, to “share with the new generations who may not necessarily be aware of the epic journey he had to undertake to have a career like this,” confided Constantin Rossi.
Visitors to the exhibition were moved by nostalgia. “It does something to me to see us so young,” declared Alain Deliperi, a guitarist who performed with Rossi and appears beside him in one of the displayed photographs.
In September, a primary school in Ajaccio will be named in his honor, and the tourism office will organize walking tours of the city, tracing the artist’s footsteps. Concerts, film screenings, and lectures are also planned.
Born on 29 April 1907 in Ajaccio, Constantin, known as “Tino” Rossi, passed away on 27 September 1983 in Neuilly-sur-Seine. His dedication to singing about love has granted him an enduring legacy. Composer Vincent Scotto, who advised him in the 1930’s to sing about love if he wanted his memory endure, had given him prescient direction: Rossi never forgot this advice, and his joyous love continues to touch hearts decades after his death.
With AFP