Line Marsa
French singer (1895–1945)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Annetta Giovanna Gassion (née Maillard; 4 August 1895 – 6 February 1945), known by stage name Line Marsa, was a French cabaret singer and circus performer, as an equestrian and tightrope artist. She is best known as the mother of internationally renowned singer Édith Piaf, considered France's national chanteuse.
4 August 1895
Annetta Giovanna Margherita Maillard
- Cabaret singer
- equestrian
- tightrope artist
Line Marsa | |
|---|---|
Lina Marsa (pictured right) with daughter Édith Piaf (centre) and her husband Louis Alphonse Gassion | |
| Born | Annetta Giovanna Maillard 4 August 1895 Livorno, Italy |
| Died | 6 February 1945 (aged 49) Paris, France |
| Other names | Annetta Gassion Annetta Giovanna Margherita Maillard |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Mother of Édith Piaf |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2, including Édith Piaf |
| Parent(s) | Auguste Eugène Maillard Emma Saïd Ben Mohamed |
| Relatives | Saïd Ben Mohamed (grandfather) |
Early life
Born Annetta Giovanna Maillard on 4 August 1895 in Livorno, Tuscany, to French parents who were on tour as part of a travelling circus troupe. Her father, Auguste Eugène Maillard, came from the Loire region of France. Her mother, Emma, was the daughter of Saïd Ben Mohamed, an Algerian Kabyle acrobat, born in 1827[1] in Constantine, Algeria.[2] Other sources state he was born in Mogador, now known as Essaouira, Morocco.[3][4][5][6][7] Her mother Margherita (or Marguerite) Bracco, was born in Murazzano, Piedmont.[8]
Career
Marsa was a singer, circus performer and equestrian. Her stage name, Line Marsa, was inspired by La Marsa, a port in Tunisia, according to her son Herbert. Although said to have a voice similar to that of Piaf, she had no success as a singer.[9]
Singer
Line was advertised as "chanteuse",[10], "chanteuse réaliste"[11][12], "diseuse réaliste"[13], "réaliste moderne"[14], "réaliste populaire”[15], and "chanteuse de genre".[16]
In december 1916, she performed at the "Eldorado Music-Hall".[17] In 1919 and 1920, she performed at the "Casino Music-Hall".[18] [19] In 1920, she performed at the "Palais de Cristal".[20] In 1923 she performed at the "Cinema Palace".[21]
In October 1923, Marsa was a member of "la troupe des Nouveautés" in Toulouse. The troupe took part in a charity matinée for the victims of the Japanese disaster, performing the Japanese-themed sketch L'Éventail de Kesa, written specifically for the event by Michel Murray. The performance was held at the Théâtre des Nouveautés, with the proceeds donated to charity.[22][23][24] A contemporary review praised Marsa and her fellow performers of "la troupe sédentaire du théâtre des Nouveautés" for displaying their “customary talent” and described their performance of the sketch as “magnificent”; the artists received lengthy ovations.[25]
In November 1923, Marsa performed with "la Troupe des Nouveautés de Toulouse" at a gala evening at the Cinéma-Théâtre. She was billed as a “diseuse réaliste”, alongside comedians and other performers from the company.[26]
In January 1924, Marsa performed with "la troupe des Nouveautés de Toulouse" as part of the Lange-Dorval touring production of En chair et en... Hausse, a two-act revue. She was billed as “la réaliste populaire”.[27]
Personal life
On 4 September 1914, she married Louis Alphonse Gassion, a singer and circus contortionist. The following year, on December 19, she gave birth to their first child, Édith Giovanna, who would become Édith Piaf. On 31 August 1918, she gave birth to their second child, Herbert. Édith was raised by Annetta's mother, Emma, from 1915 to 1918, when she was sent to Louis Gassion's mother instead due to Annetta and Emma's neglect.[28]
Annetta and Louis were divorced on 4 June 1929 reportedly because of her substance abuse. She never remarried.[29]
Death
Line Marsa died of a drug overdose in Paris on 6 February 1945.[30] She is not buried with her daughter Piaf at Père Lachaise Cemetery, unlike Louis-Alphonse Gassion but in the Parisian cemetery of Thiais.[citation needed]
In popular culture
Marsa was portrayed by Clotilde Courau in Olivier Dahan's 2007 Piaf biopic, La vie en rose.
In 2021 the Comitato Unesco Jazz day Livorno (Unesco Jazz Day Committee of the city of Livorno, a volunteer non-profit organization founded 2012 by the musician Andrea Pellegrini) declared 4 August "Giornata degli artisti di strada" (street artists day) to remember Line Marsa. The Livornese graffiti artist Mart made a painting on the wall of the public park Villa Fabbricotti and a stone plate: "Line Marsa / (Anita Maillard) / nacque a Livorno / 4 agosto 1895".[31]