One of my favorite singers has a new album coming out in Europe on Monday.

Her name is Oumou Sangare and she's from Mali.

Oumou Sangare isn't just one of Mali's best known musicians. She's also arguably her country's best-known woman.

And that's a role she takes quite seriously.

Her efforts to fight for social justice earned her an award from UNESCO several years ago.

She's considered a champion of human rights, particularly women's rights.

"Voir une femme heureuse, ca me donne la joie naturelle."

She says when she sees a happy woman, it gives her a natural joy. Joy is the title of her new CD, or in the Bambara language "Seya."

This is not a vague sense of joy. Oumou Sangare says that she's never made music just for the sake of making music.