Saïd Ben Mohamed

Saïd Ben Mohamed (born 1827), also known as Saïd Mahomet or by his stage name le Petit sans Pareil, was a performer from Constantine, Algeria who performed in France from the 1850s. He was the maternal great-grandfather of Edith Piaf.

Biography Saïd Ben Mohamed, an Algerian Kabyle acrobat, was born in 1827 in Constantine, Algeria. Other sources state he was born in Mogador, now known as Essaouira. His father was Mohamed Ben Mohamed and his mother Ajoh Ben Ali (alternatively Ajose Beau Arsé and Ajoh Bent)

Saïd and Mustapha Amar (Ben-Bel-Aïd), both part of the troupe performing in Paris, were hired by Italian circus director Joseph Bracco (his future father in law). Bracco and Mustapha became the directors of the troupe.

They named their troupe Grande loge de la troupe des Cinq-Nations, alternatively Troupe des Arabes, Grande Troupe Arabe, They used to often carry the subtitle du Mont Atlas and later Les Merveilles du Desert.

Saïd's stage name, "le Petit sans Pareil", literally means "the little incomparable one". He is described as such on the advertising poster, as well as in the newspapers.

Personal Life On 5 December 1852, Saïd Ben Mohamed and Margherita Bracco (alternatively Marguerite Brague) registered their intention to marry in Poitiers.

Descendants The last mentions of the troupe found in the press date from 1885.

Marguerite and Saïd had many children and continued their careers as acrobats. Théâtre Saïd is described as formerly known as Théâtre Bracco-Moustapha, establishing a direct link to Grande loge de la troupe des Cinq-Nations from directors Bracco and Mustapha. This is the troupe troupe in which Saïd Ben Mohamed worked as a performer.

In 1895, Emma's daughter Annetta Giovanna was born in Livorno. Annetta became a cabaret singer under the stage name of Line Marsa. In 1915, Annetta gave birth to a daughter, French singer Édith Piaf. Emma became the primary caregiver of her granddaughter Edith from 1915 to 1916.

Death Saïd died on 4 December 1890 in Hôtel de Ville, Montluçon, France.