Montreal YouTuber Shahin is the first French-speaking content creator to make it to the list of the most promising Canadian YouTubers of the year, according to Google, YouTube’s parent company. More than 180,000 people subscribe to his channel, which he uses to promote Quebec in French-speaking countries.
Published annually by Google Canada since 2021, the list brings together five YouTubers whose channels enjoy exponential visibility. The fifth on this list, that of Shahin Ouest, pseudonym of Shahin Naderi, has experienced meteoric growth in the last year, points out Zaitoon Murji, communications manager for YouTube Canada.
Shahin Nadery at the Osheaga Festival this summer. Photo from Shahin Ouest’s Facebook account
“It’s really crazy to have attracted the attention of Google, which is a bit like a big boss that you never meet,” admits the 23-year-old young man. Born in Montreal to Iranian immigrant parents, the YouTuber grew up on the West Island and received a bilingual education. He completed his primary and secondary education in French and then his CEGEP in English. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Concordia University.
YouTube has released its list of the most promising Canadian YouTubers in 2023 on Google’s X account. Screenshot of Google X account
It should be noted that Quebecer Corey Tonge is also on Google’s list, but only produces English-language content.
Export Quebecois
English is the lingua franca on YouTube. Despite all this, Shahin’s content is presented in an assumed Quebecois language. “There was definitely a debate about what language I would use on my channel, but it was important to me to stay authentic.” He wants to show that we can create content that is exported without changing the way how we express ourselves.
“I’m interested in people,” says the person who promotes intercultural exchange. In his dynamic, playful and light videos, he alternates between the topic of “dating” and the “Guess Who” format, which is reminiscent of the American channel Cut.
In these latest creations, a panel consisting of Shahin and three friends – often accompanied by guests like rapper Rowjay – must guess from a small group of participants who is a rapper, an immigrant, a Haitian or a Quebecois, depending on what is in the video.
For example, in the video “We Guess Who the Quebecer Is,” the panel asks questions of the five contestants – the name of the Montreal Canadiens arena, to name just one – and tries to separate the Quebecer from the others, who are immigrants. .while their feet are in the ice to test their cold tolerance.
But what is a Quebecois? If you have to guess a person’s nationality, Shahin”[se] based on the person’s place of birth. But it’s the nuances and confusion that this question brings that interests him. He says he appreciates the influence of multiculturalism on the culture of Montreal and Quebec.
“Put our country on the Map #quebec»
“Quebec is the best soccer team.” These are examples of descriptions that can be found on the YouTuber’s Instagram account.
When asked if he is an independent, he replies that he “doesn’t see why he shouldn’t be.” […] “It’s not against Canada, it’s because we deserve international recognition.”
The Montrealer’s YouTube channel reportedly brought in “six figures” this year. He makes sure to reinvest in his content and the compensation of his team, which can sometimes consist of 13 people.
Shahin is proud of his channel’s financial success. To celebrate the 100,000 subscriber milestone, he hosted guests who participated in his videos at a luxurious home – used thanks to a partnership with the owner company – and gave a winning couple $1,000.
For Shahin, promoting French-language (and Quebecois) content on YouTube is important. If its success, be it financial or in viewership, can motivate other Quebecers to invest in their content, it has succeeded.