The World Famous Eggman
Famous Eggman, Nominated GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS 2011 in MILANO Italy.
Who is that Guy with all the Eggs on his head that you see at all the bestest Festivals in South Africa? His name is Gregory da Silva - An Comedian Artist, Storyteller, dancer and live street perfomer from Benin West Africa. Gregory da Silva ( Egg Man ) was born in Benin West Africa, Voodoo Country. He speaks French and English and is staying in Cape Town, South Africa. He has appeared at many Festivals in Africa.
Gregory da Silva, The World Famous Eggman Cape Town South
Africa. A Great, Funny Comedian Artist dancer, Storyteller, Street
He perform recently at :
- The Fifa Fan Festival Cape Town ( Fifa Fan Park) 2010
- The Slow Food Festival(n Food and Wine Fair) in Stellenbosch from
The 1 july until 4 July 2010
- The Royal Show in Pietermaritzburg Kwazulu-Natal from 28 May until 6 July 2010
- The Volksblad Kunstefees Festival in Bloemfontein 6 july until 11
july in Free States.
- The Klein Karoo National Festival in Oudtshoorn Western Cape
- The Cederberg Festival in Clanwilliam
- The Bloem Show 2010 in Bloemfontein
- The North West Cultural Calabash in Taung Village
- Somerset East The Biltong Festival from 16 july – 17 july 2010
- The Hermanus Whales Festival
- The Big Blue(s) Festival, Blue Lagoon Festival in Kleinmond
- Good Hope FM Show 2010
- Cape Town carnival 2010.
- CADEK Media Destinations Expo
- The Agri Expo CTICC
- Bokomo The Golf day Paarl sponsor by Nulaid Eggs.
- Back 2 Business Event Cape Sun Hotel 2010
- The FIFA FAN FESTIVAL (Festival Final Draw 2010) Cape Town
- Bloemfontein Oliewenhuis KunsMuseum Art Museum.
- The Momentum 94.7 Cycle Tour 2009 Pretoria.
- Suidoosterfees Festival Cape Town 2008.
He made many Movies, Films, Tv Adverts, SABC1, SABC2, SABC3 and
eTVNews, DSTV, The Hallmark Channel, CNN, AlJezeera, Deutch TV, The
Memory, Germany Television, Spain Tv, Dicovery Channel, Animal Planet,
Disney Adventures and many more...
He participated in Hundreds Festivals, Expos, Shows, Conferences,
Carnivals, Tourism Expo, Exhibitions, Travel Outdoors, Gala Dinner
Awards and Events around Africa:
- CAPE OUTDOOR TRAVEL ADVENTURE EXPO. BIEN DONNÉ FARM FRANSCHHOEK,
- The Destination Expo CTICC 2009,
- The Cape Argus WorkPlace Expo 2009,
- The Agri Expo CTICC 2009,
- The The Pretoria Show 2009,
- The Grahamstown National Arts festival,
- The Biltong festival in Somerset East,
- Kirkwood Addo Elephant Kunstefee,
- The Innibos festival in Nelspruit Mpumanlanga,
- The Gariep Kimberly Festival,
- The World IBM Conference,
- The GLC Global Leadership Conference,
- The Indaba Expo,
- The Klein Karoo nationalAfrikaans Kunstefee,
- Stellenbosch Street festival,
- Olive Festival in Riebeek Kasteel,
- Mooresburg Farms Agri Show
- Green Point Flea Market Cape Town
-Milerton Flea Market and many more Hundreds
Festivals...
He performs every day in Market square Cape Town and adds an air of Rio-style festivity wherever he performs. Many tourrists from Germany, England, America, Italy, France, Belguim call Gregory - "The Eggman", "Eierman" or "Chicken Man". Very famous in Africa. and almost an institution at Art festivals in South Africa. Gregory da Silva walks Green Market Square (in Cape Town). The outfit always turns heads - and each day it boasts a new feature, a new symbol of an African culture or practice. His headdress weighs up to twenty five kilograms, his body is armoured with artifacts and his face painted with tribal patterns and an undying smile. Each day, Gregory Da Silva presents the city centre with a new display of his symbolic art. Gregory's voice is lively and he repeatedly offers phrases and words in French.
Born in Benin, West Africa, 1979, he was trained in computer science at university, but went on to found a theatre group in Benin called 'Voice of Spirit' or 'Voix de l'Esprit', which performed politically motivated as well as comic and poetic theatre at the Benin National Library. After receiving an invitation to perform at the MASA - Market for African Performing Arts - Festival in the Ivory Coast in 2003, where he represented his country, Benin, for a week before flying to South Africa. He sold his creations at the V&A Waterfront and began to grace the streets of Cape Town with his unique form of art. It was so unique it initially led the bemused Cape Town police to put him in the back of their car and call their superiors for advice! Naturally the superiors advised them to let him go and now Gregory enjoys a good relationship with the city authorities...
Attention is soon turned to his artifact-laden tunic which Gregory says is about "all African tradition, all African culture[s]" and he goes on to explain some of the more prominent objects displayed. First, he points out the clusters of sea shells hanging around his neck, saying that in Africa these shells were "old money" and once used as currency. He explains the eggs on his head dress as being symbolic of life and says "everything must be life, everything must shine, [and] be positive".
Next his hands grab the arcane black bottle near his waist to explain that in his culture, the Sangoma people would place "good spirits" in a bottle, with which they would "heal sick people [they] passed while walking on the roads". The broken shards of mirror found on his chest bear similar spiritual significance, and are often worn by Voodoo people in Africa and are said to be a kind of window into the spiritual world, and a "way to talk to [their] ancestor[s]".Gregory says his main inspiration or motivation is to "make people laugh" and "make people happy" and to represent different African cultures.
He says he always thinks "how we can put all of Africa together to make [it] one", adding that "not one country can be forgotten". When he is travelling in Africa, be it in Senegal, Cameroon, Mali or the Congo, the local people invariably look at him and say "ahh, that is our culture" as they see something of their own represented. "All Africa is in my clothes" he says, drawing attention again to his peerless suit.
When not walking St. Georges Mall or Green Market Square, Gregory features at the Grahamstown festival, the Hermanus Whale Festival, has been hired to receive guests at hotels and airports, and has also appeared on SABC 2 and E-TV News. He is very popular with tourists, especially those from Italy, England, America and Germany, who frequently ask why he does not come over and do his thing in their own country.
But he says his focus is on Africa. Pictures of him certainly do get back to their countries though, as Gregory says everyday "hundreds" of pictures are taken of himself, usually posing with the tourists. Asked about his dreams and ambitions, Gregory (or the "Egg Man" or "Ei man" as he is also known) says that he is planning on starting an art school, which is part of his 'Project For Africa' . He wants to impart creative knowledge to South African youth, giving them the power to create beautiful things and also to support themselves, all part of his ultimate venerable ambition to "[bring] Africa together to make one.
Achievements:
Finalist: The Best of Cape Town Awards, Category Best performing Artist - 2008
Cell C Awards - 2009 in Soweto, Gauteng
Cape Town’s Eggman finds something to smile about...Experiences
25 June 2009 ∥ By Palesa Motau
Gregory da Silva, better known as the Eggman or Eierman, can cheer you up – no matter what kind of day you’re having – with his comic laugh and broad smile.
Eggman stands out in a crowd with his 3m-high hat made of eggs and other recycled bits and pieces, weighing up to 27kg, along with his colourful tunic, which represents all the countries on the African continent.
Da Silva has proved to be a positive influence among Capetonians and tourists.
He is a well-known entertainer both locally and internationally after appearing on DStv’s Hallmark Channel, e.tv, SABC and CNN in interviews, advertisements and movies.
He is often invited to festivals to spread his enthusiasm and optimistic energy.
He has attended the Masa Festival 2003 (Market for African Performing Arts) in Ivory Coast, the National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, the Innibos Festival in Nelspruit, the Hermanus Whale Festival, the Darling Festival, the Stellenbosch Street Festival, the Simon’s Town Penguin Festival and many more.
As the Best of Cape Town Awards 2008 finalist in the Performing Arts category, he shared his talent with children from the township by teaching them about art, performing and dance through his Project for Africa programme.
“Children in Africa need our help,” he says. “Education is knowledge and knowledge is power. We need to change their lives positively because they are our future.”
He loves Cape Town because to him, it’s the connection between African culture and the world.
As a former computer science student, he built his own website, using his education as a tool to promote his true talent of art, story-telling and entertainment.
“It is important to me to be close to people. It is part of my spirit.”
Cape Town - See The Egg Man at Green Market Square
Friday, 04 June 2010
The Egg Man has become a symbol of the uniqueness and deep Joie de vivre of the African Continent. The Egg Man, who is based in Cape Town is seen at many of the festivals, fairs and events around South Africa. Tourists from around the world can’t enough of The Egg Man, this larger than life character, who prowls the streets in his African dress and huge egg hats. Some weigh up to 25 kg yet he manages to walk the streets day in and day out without mishap.
Forever ready to solve your problems with the wisdom of the dark continent, Gregory Da Silva forgot years ago how not to smile and laugh.
If you are touring South Africa and he is not off at some or other event you’ll find him in the City Centre of Cape Town – Green Market Square is his favourite haunt, or down at the V and A Waterfront.
Gregory hails from the tiny West African Country Benin – a true international entertainer.
See Gregory Da Silva on The Egg Man website, and email him to find out where he will be performing.
While in Cape Town you may want to do some touring.
South Africa FIFA World Cup 2010. Eggman Cape Town South Africa.
AFRICAN EXTRAVAGANZA : The National Arts Festival had its usual colourful start in Grahamstown South Africa. Gregory da Silva, Artist Comedian, Storyteller from Benin, West Africa, wears headgear adorned with African artifacts. Gregory da Silva has becomes an Institution at the National Art festival Grahamstown.
Bizarre man dumps university degree for life on the streets
Meet Gregoire Da silva; Cape Town’s most recognisable foreigner. The man from the tiny West African state of Benin has been turning heads in the city. He is adding an African flair to the mother city’s tourism landscape. Regular visitors to Green Market Square and St. George’s Mall are familiar with the sight: A colourfully-garbed man who goes about balancing a heap of junk atop his tiny head. He causes quite a stir everywhere he goes. The sight is eerie at worst, awesome at best. It makes people gasp in bewilderment. The picture is reminiscent of a figure from an African folklore movie. It is enough to make your hairs stand on end. At a distance, Gregoire cuts a lonesome figure. That of an African woman making her way home from the field. Her harvest securely stacked on her head. Closer inspection, however, reveals a shortish man clad in antique-studded robes with outlandish headgear to match. A painted face completes his weird make-over. Enter the world of Gregoire Da Silva, the professional wag. A self-made clown endowed with a rich vein of creativity. Daily he trudges the streets of the CBD spotting a zombie look-alike. His antics make multitudes go agape. He is a humble man with a simple philosophy in life: “I like making people happy,” he declares. Indeed those who have met him couldn’t agree more. He has transformed his body into a beautiful work of art. It’s a human version of “still-life” art. He goes round displaying his ‘bodyworks’ with aplomb, a toothsome smile always at the ready. It’s the kind of photo opportunity tourists find irresistible. These ‘services’ earn him R200-R300 daily. Most of it in tips, though on occasion tourists pay to pose with him. So who is the man behind this public charade? Wait for it. Gregoire Da Silva is no ordinary prankster. He is a computer scientist by training. Born on July 8 1979 in Cotonou, the commercial capital of Benin, he went to an exclusive missionary school. Thanks to an adoring mother. A stint at Cotonou University followed where he studied computer science, graduating in 1996. His choices in life have been nothing short of bizarre. He dumped his university degree to work as a gardener! While his computer skills were gathering dust, he went about preening gardens for a living. Such exposure cultivated in Gregoire a passion for the outdoors. Then another career change followed. His creative side came to the fore, resulting in the formation of a drama group called the “Voice of Spirits”. It was an instant success. The group mesmerised audiences with passionate story-telling and prolific drumming. Poetic citations on cultural and political themes thrilled admirers. The “Voice of Spirits” relocated to Porto-Novo, the commercial capital of Benin. Success seems to follow in his wake. The group entertained visitors at the National Library and became a permanent feature there. For 300 CFA Franc (about R3), their shows were always sold out. Invitations for appearances at schools kept them busy. Gregoire broke away from his group to pursue a solo career. This was met with an invitation to the Market for African Performing Arts (MAPA) in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Given the honour of opening the fiesta, he did not disappoint. He sang and danced until his voice croaked and his feet ached. MAPA launched the career of Gregoire Da Silva, the footloose, one-man circus. Complete with a unique stage presence clothed in African folklore. His special talisman being the multi-cultural stage costume he designed. Soon the whiff of fame drove him to South Africa. Initially it was to attend the North Sea Jazz festival. A dream that turned sour as organisers denied knowledge of his invitation. This sent him knocking on the doors of Artscape Theatre. To his relief, they facilitated an arrangement where he could showcase his talents at the V&A Amphitheatre. Little doubt he dazzled many with his shows. This earned him R200-R300 daily. His knack for outrageous decision-making prevailed again. He traded his custom-made stage robes for R1500. That literally brought down the curtain on his career as a wag. The attractively bizarre costume forms a part of his repertoire. It complements his stage antics. Gregoire’s creativity never fails him. In no time, he crafted a fittingly eerie costume. He is a regular feature at Grahamstown and Hermanus Arts festivals. He says he rakes in as much as R1000 daily at such gatherings. “Tourists are very supportive, they tip me generously,” says Gregoire. The other day a lady tossed R100 in my palm, just like that.” “I have never seen such friendly people,” he adds. These handouts have enabled him build a “big” house in Mfuleni Cape Town.