27 Aug 2009 As part of its 10th anniversary celebrations the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz (SBJoJ) – which starts today in Newtown and runs until Saturday - is proud to announce the introduction of an American cultural exchange programme which will see the sharing of musical talent between South Africa and the US.

The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation and Festival (NOJHFF) and SBJoJ will send an upcoming artist to each other’s festivals every year. As part of the exchange, American vocalist Arlee Leonard is appearing at this year’s festival and will be seen at the Market Theatre on Friday and Saturday as part of the Standard Bank Joy of Jazz which runs in Newtown from Thursday to Saturday.

A South African artist or group, still to be named, will perform in New Orleans next year. There will also be a similar exchange programme for staff of the two festivals.

The exchange will greatly aid the development of the arts in both countries; promote cultural tourism and, most importantly, provide artists with an exposure they wouldn’t otherwise have had.

Says Peter Tladi of T Musicman, the promoters of SBJoJ: “We have built a solid relationship with the NOJHFF over the years and we are very happy that we’re now taking our relationship to a higher level that will benefit artistic development, relationships across nations, and economic development. It will also ultimately benefit South African audiences who will be exposed to artists they wouldn’t otherwise have seen.”

For more information on the line-up, venues go to www.standardbankjazz.co.za and www.tmusicman.co.za.

The 2009 Standard Bank Joy of Jazz is presented by Standard Bank and T-Musicman in Johannesburg - a world class African city.