Jeshurun Vincent
Jeshurun Vincent | |
|---|---|
 Jeshurun Vincent with his Guitar in Egypt 2017 | |
| Nationality | Malaysian |
| Education | Universiti Malaysia Sabah |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, author, inspirational speaker, motivation speaker |
| Known for | Global musical journey, Malaysia Book of Records holder |
| Notable work | Into the Potter's Hands, Inward |
Jeshurun Vincent (born 5 November 1987) is a Malaysian traveling musician, author, and inspirational speaker who gained recognition for his global musical journey despite being partially deaf. Raised in Kajang, Malaysia, Jeshurun has traveled extensively across the world, sharing messages of hope through his instrumental music while overcoming significant personal challenges.
Early life and education
[edit]Jeshurun was born as Jeshurun Fatianathan on 5 November 1987 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Jeshurun's early musical experiences began in school where, like many Malaysian students, he was required to learn the flute or better known as the recorder. By his own admission, he struggled with the instrument, once stating, "I was so bad at it that teachers used to hit me with the flute. It was very painful and I began disliking that instrument."[1]
At age 14, Jeshurun was initially deemed "too small" for music by a local music school. After persisting for four years, he was finally enrolled and chose the bass guitar as his instrument, despite it being equal to his height at the time.[1]
Hearing impairment
[edit]At the age of 19, Jeshurun's life changed dramatically when he woke up one day partially deafened due to an aggressive virus that damaged most of his hearing. This condition posed a significant challenge to his musical aspirations but ultimately became part of his inspirational story.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Music and global travels
[edit]Jeshurun began his international travels as a musician in August 2014, initially visiting countries in Asia before expanding to other continents.[1] He typically performs instrumental music rather than vocals, finding it to be a universal language that requires no translation and allows him to connect with audiences across language barriers.[4][2][5][6][7]
By June 2020, Jeshurun had set a record in The Malaysia Book of Records for visiting 102 countries as a solo Malaysian traveler.[8][3] He was also invited to speak at TEDx in one of the online conference.[9] By December 2022, he had expanded his journey to 123 countries across all continents.[10] During his travels, Jeshurun collects flags from each nation he visits and sews them onto his guitar case as mementos.[11][12][13][14]
Jeshurun's approach to travel follows three principles:[1]
- Never ask anyone for money
- Never create sympathy by showing a "sad" face
- Travel with whatever amount of cash he has in his bank account at the time
FIFA World Cup 2022 performance
[edit]In December 2022, Jeshurun performed at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar as part of the FIFA Fan Festival in Al Bidda Park, Doha. He performed in a place that had previously hosted international artist like Diplo, Calvin Harris, and Nora Fatehi.[10]
During his performance, Jeshurun proudly displayed the Malaysian flag while playing songs on his electrical guitar. His repertoire included his most of his instrumental composition and World Cup cover songs instrumental version such as "Hayya Hayya (Better Together)".[10]
Cultural ambassador and promotion of Malaysia
[edit]Jeshurun has played a significant role in promoting Malaysian culture and tourism through his international travels and performances. In 2023, he was officially invited by the Embassy of Malaysia in Budapest to promote Malaysia through his music and travel experiences.[15] During his visit to Hungary, he shared his experiences of visiting over 130 countries and performed Malaysian songs, helping to showcase Malaysian culture and tourism to the Hungarian audience.[15] A few months after that he also visited Brunei, where he was invited by the Embassy of Malaysia in Brunei to share his experince and promote Malaysian culture too.[16]
Charitable work and community service
[edit]A significant aspect of Jeshurun's charitable work involves organizing and participating in football matches for various causes. In early 2024, he played a pivotal role in BIC FC's international charity match in Singapore, an initiative focused on combating food poverty together with a NGO called Gift of Love (GOL). The event was notably officiated by Dato' Dr. Azfar Mohamad Mustafar, the Malaysian Ambassador to Singapore, highlighting the diplomatic significance of the occasion. Prior to the match, Jeshurun, alongside his team, demonstrated their commitment to community service by visiting an orphanage in Johor, where they engaged in activities with the children. As team captain, he led BIC FC in a competitive match that ended in a 4-2 defeat, though the result was secondary to the event's primary goal of raising awareness about food poverty and fostering Malaysia-Singapore bilateral relations through sports. The initiative exemplified Jeshurun's approach to combining athletics with social causes, using sports as a platform for community building and charitable work.[17]
CFOURJ and musical career
[edit]Jeshurun is founder, main vocalist of the music band CFOURJ, with whom he performed and participated in various media appearances and has few music albums. His association with CFOURJ included interviews on platforms such as Astro V'buzz with Daryl Baptist and Rueben Thevandran.[18]
Published works
[edit]In 2017, Jeshurun published his first book titled "Into the Potter's Hands".[19][1] He has also produced a mini-series and authored a book called "Inward," which describes overcoming physical and emotional adversity through faith.
Recognition and awards
[edit]- The Malaysia Book of Records holder for visiting 102 countries as a solo Malaysian traveler (2020)[8]
- Torch bearer for the Kuala Lumpur 2017 SEA Games[20]
- 'Unsung Heroes' category winner at the Malaysian Indian Cine Awards (2019)[8]
Personal life
[edit]Jeshurun believes in God, which he credits as a source of strength in overcoming his hearing impairment and other life challenges. He experience personal loss when his mother, whom he described as his "biggest fan," passed away shortly before the COVID-19 lockdowns began in Malaysia.[8][3]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Jeshurun Vincent: remains an optimist despite life's hurdles". Raajje.mv. 6 July 2019.
- ^ a b S, Bissme. "The music of his heart". thesun.my. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b c Koshy, Elena (2020-07-26). "Malaysia Book of Records holder spreads hope through music despite facing devastating losses | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ "Despite being partially deaf, this musician travelled to 102 countries alone & set a MSian record". Wau Post.
- ^ "Malaysian globetrotter on journey since 2014 shares his tales in Brunei". The Star. 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ Rtv, San Marino (2024-10-15). "Dalla Malesia a San Marino: la storia di Jeshurun, guarito dalla musica". San Marino Rtv (in Italian). Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ jan (2023-11-15). "Liechtenstein – 133. Station für Jeshurun Vincent". 1FLTV (in German). Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b c d "Meet the partially deaf musician who set a Malaysian record after visiting 102 countries". SAYS.
- ^ Webinars for Jeshurun Vincent | Have you ever wonder why a hearing disability musician can hold Malaysia record for visiting more than 102 countries by himself? Accepting Changes by Jeshurun | By TEDxAPUKL. Retrieved 2025-03-10 – via www.facebook.com.
- ^ a b c "Malaysian who's been to 123 countries now playing at World Cup". New Straits Times. 10 December 2022.
- ^ Lifestyle, Reena Sekaran @ FMT (2020-03-28). "Jeshurun travels the world, strumming his songs of hope". Free Malaysia Today | FMT. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ "Le musicien-voyageur Jeshurun Vincent aux doigts d'or ! (Vidéo)". Ennahar Online (in Arabic). 2022-09-17. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ "After visiting 91 countries, a young Malaysian plays for hope in Syria". AL Khabar TV (in Arabic). 2020-01-22.
- ^ CultureAlgérie (2022-09-14). "Le musicien-voyageur Jeshurun Vincent à Alger pour livrer son message d'espoir (Vidéo) - Culture Algérie". Culture Algérie (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-06-24. Retrieved 2025-03-07.
- ^ a b "Mr. Jeshurun Vincent, a well-known Malaysian travelling musician to promote Malaysia". Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia. 2023.
- ^ "Malaysian globetrotter shares experience » Borneo Bulletin Online". Malaysian globetrotter shares experience. 2023-10-23. Retrieved 2025-03-10.
- ^ "Charity Football Match - Ending Food Poverty". www.instagram.com. 2024-04-22. Retrieved 2025-03-11.
- ^ "Jeshurun Vincent of CFOURJ with Daryl Baptist and Rueben for Astro V'buzz interview". CFOURJ.
- ^ Vincent, Jeshurun (2017-09-09). Into the Potter’s Hands. Jeshurun Vincent. ISBN 978-967-15290-0-3.
- ^ "Jeshurun Vincent, torch bearer for Larian Obor KL 2017, Malaysia". CFOURJ.