RICHARD CAZEAU: FROM MUCHMOREMUSIC TO CULTURAL CURATOR
Not sure if it’s because my birthday is quickly approaching, but I’ve been feeling kinda nostalgic lately – thinking back to the things that I enjoyed when I was younger.
One of the things that came to mind was watching music videos. I can recall when MuchMusic was the ONLY place to watch videos. (yes, there was a time when Much – what it’s called now, actually played videos!) If you wanted to see a particular video, you had to hope and pray that it would air when you were sitting in front the TV. Now, all you have to do is go to YouTube or tap your fave app and watch any video – any time.
I snapped myself out of my silly trip down memory lane and returned to 2017 by picking up my iPhone and logging into Instagram (my current time waster). I saw that a rather handsome gentleman by the name of Richard Cazeau liked some of my posts and was FOLLOWING me.
His face looked familiar, but I didn’t know why. Then it hit me – he was a VJ and hosted a few programs on MuchMoreMusic – Much’s sister station!! I took it as a sign that I needed to talk to him as I was just thinking about Much. I wanted to speak about his time as a VJ, and what he’s been up to since leaving the station.
Our phone interview was laid-back, candid and brought about questions I would love to address in another article (sorry, can’t share just yet). We chatted about his VJ days, being a person of colour in media, as well as the various shows that he’s hosted since leaving his gig at MuchMoreMusic.
Did you want to know more about this super chill dude? Keep reading.
Birthplace: Toronto Astrological Sign: Virgo Super power: He’s bilingual. Fully fluent in French and English Fun Fact: Hosted a cooking show called “What’s Cooking”
What was it like being a VJ on MuchMoreMusic?
It was amazing! It was one of the greatest jobs I’ve ever had. I’d get up, get out of bed, walk to work, and write and shoot a show with my colleagues, then go out and meet hip hop and rockstars. I’d come back and write and file the stories or create my own produced content, mostly on news and entertainment.
I really worked hard for the 5 years that I was on the channel. I met a lot of people who influenced my life – personally and musically. It was good for me. It was also cool being a man of colour on national television. I didn’t have celebrity status and I was nervous most of the time, but I still enjoyed having that opportunity to share with people what I was excited about.
You mentioned being a man of colour in the media. What was the experience like for you being on a national media station?
You realize that there are people who did the job prior to you, who really garnered some respect to a certain degree. When you’re aware of their contributions you realize you really have to kick ass in the job because they already did.
I never received the same notoriety as some of my colleagues who have been there previously, but that was okay.
Do you think that a man of colour could achieve huge success like some past VJs?
It depends on the product. Canadian media is so affected by what’s happening online – even international content, that Canadian media is getting lost in the mix. I feel that you don’t have to wait for the TV medium or radio medium to become a success story, you can go online.
The Afro Canadian personality is a little underrepresented in Canadian culture.
What was the transition like leaving MuchMoreMusic and being your own brand?
It was hard. I was trying to find a foothold into what I wanted to do next. I knew that I wanted to do a bit more travelling. Luckily by the time I left MuchMoreMusic, I landed 2 television shows, and then I became a freelancer. And I’ve been doing that ever since.
I’ve been very lucky in the career that I have, being number 2 versus being number 1. I’ve had a chance to explore so many types of shows. I had a chance to work for Yahoo News in New York alongside Katie Couric and Joe Zee in their offices. That to me was kick ass!
After hosting a few shows and having a passion for what’s trending, has led Richard to become a very insightful Cultural Curator/Lifestyle expert. As a Cultural Curator, he shares his knowledge of technology, travel, food, and fashion – among other things, with audiences on CityLine, Breakfast Television and on his own blog. He admitted that his blog primarily provides the male point of view, but he’s got a few female fans too!
Why did you start your blog?
I’m obsessed with what’s happening in different regions of the world, what’s happening in my space, and I’m hungry for it. I’m curious. I always want to know where people are going, what they’re buying, what they like, what they don’t like, what’s trending. I bring it back to my website.
On your blog you mentioned that you’re a Multipotentialite? What’s that?
I’m diverse. I’m a hybrid in the industry. There’s a lot of potential to do different things because of my simple knowledge of multiple things – things I’ve been exposed to in the career that I’ve had.
For me, there’s never room to say NO to something without finding ways to create opportunity. I’m always working with different brands, personalities and producers to see what kind of content
we can create.
Oooh, I love that hustle mentality! I admire that he embraced opportunity and growth from all his experiences, and has a career that puts a smile on his face. My fave things that Richard shared with me was, “Work hard, be kind and never say no to anything” Thanks for the advice and for the chat, Richard!
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