-A musical career seemed improbable for Fantani Touré who was of noble birth. Still, in 2003, this young female singer was named artist of the year together with Salif Keita and Habib Koité. But things hadn't been at all easy for her. Although she had been performing from age seven and was trained as a griot in the 'L'Empire de la Sagesse Divine' school (Empire of Divine Wisdom), her parents had been trying unceasingly to 'bring her back to her senses'. Making music is just not what a princess does. For a while she disappeared from the limelight, but since 1995 she's been back and how. Salif Keita produces her cd, Toumani Diabaté likes nothing better than performing with her en she only takes breaks from her singing career in order to appear in movies or plays. Moreover, Fantani Touré is one of the leading lights in the fight for women's rights in Mali. Thanks to her management training she has built up a few small companies (clothing, decoration) where women play important roles. So it came as no surprise when she travelled from the south of Mali to the Festival in the Desert in 2003 to help defend the rights of the Tuareg minority.