Grand Corps Malade | |
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Grand Corps Malade in June 2006
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Background information | |
Birth name | Fabien Marsaud |
Born |
Le Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis, France |
31 July 1977
Genres | Slam |
Occupation(s) | Singer, songwriter |
Instruments | Vocals |
Years active | 2003 – present |
Labels | AZ |
Website | www |
Fabien Marsaud (born 31 July 1977 in Le Blanc-Mesnil, Seine-Saint-Denis), better known by his stage name Grand Corps Malade (also abbreviated GCM), is a French slam poet.
His father Jacques Marsaud was a communist activist, and a regional functionary and general secretary of the commune in Noisy-le-Sec and Saint-Denis and later on director general of services at Conseil général du Val-de-Marne and later in la Communauté d'agglomération Plaine-Commune. His mother was a librarian. They lived in Noisy-le-Sec.
Fabien excelled in his classes, particularly in literary courses and in sports, with sports becoming a passion of his, particularly playing basketball. He received offers to be on the youth development team of Toulouse, but preferred to stay in Saint-Denis. After playing in basketball teams in Nanterre and Saint Denis, he signed with a basketball team based in Aubervilliers, a northeastern suburb of Paris that had a team playing in Division 3 French basketball.
After his secondary education and baccalauréat, he got his Diplôme d'études universitaires générales (DEUG) in "Sciences et techniques des activités physiques et sportives" (Staps).
On 16 July 1997, during a sports camp where he was a supervisor, a diving accident in a swimming pool caused him to displace his spine; he was later told he would never walk again. However, in 1999, after a year of intensive treatment, he regained the ability to walk, inspiring his alias of Grand Corps Malade (meaning "Tall Sick Body" in French) in reference to his condition as well as his height (nearly 6'4" which is 1.95m).
Young Fabien started writing poetry at the age of 15. He made his first appearance as a slam artist in a bar at place de Clichy in Paris on October 23, 2003, where he recited "Cassiopée" his first artistic piece. Choosing the alias Grand Corps Malade, he took part in many slam events with Collectif 129H, and with John Pucc'Chocolat. In 2004, he conducted "Slam'Alikoum", a monthly feature at the "Café Culturel de Saint-Denis" with his friend John Pucc' He co-founded « "Le Cercle des Poètes sans Instru" that included 7 slam artists including John Pucc’, Droopy, Techa, the 129H members and himself.