by MILES ERWIN - Sunday, September 14, 2008 - http://www.metro.co.uk

Most children his age would be happy standing in front of a mirror playing air guitar - but Yannick Koffi is no ordinary nine-year-old.

The youngster can play the bass so well that he is being hailed as a future rock star.
The pint-sized prodigy's ability to perform complex pieces of music has astounded experts, with electric guitar maker Fender making him one of their youngest endorsees.
Yannick, who looks the part of a rock star with his dreadlocks, plays with two of his father's bands as a bass player and on the keyboards. 'I just pick stuff up really quickly,' he said.

His father, Gervais, added: 'He's got the ear - he has a very pure ear. He can hear instantly if a note isn't right. Even with some of the musicians in the band, if they are not in shape he will look at them and say, "What are you doing?"'

Yannick's talents became obvious at the age of ten months when he began singing a traditional Ivory Coast song. By the age of two he had learnt an entire Michael Jackson concert from a video.

A home video shows him singing Billie Jean, strumming a tiny plastic guitar and attempting a moonwalk.

The youngster, who has been dubbed the Mozart of Marrickville, after his home town in New South Wales, Australia, is now off to Japan to film a TV show. He will play in a band with host of other pre-teen prodigal talents in the rock world.






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