In this global era, musical genres happily cross, fuse, dissolve, connect and reconnect. And when great artists join musical forces, the results are often awe-inspiring. This week’s Beat Latino is all about those fruitful collaborations, from Mali meets Cuba again and again with great pianist Roberto Fonseca and superb griot vocalist Fatoumata Diaware, to the protest anthems created by musical activists like Argentina’s Mercedes Sosa and Puerto Rico’s Calle 13 to Ecuador’s Sarazino finding sweet reggae common ground with Sierra Leone Refugee Allstars–we love artist’s amazing meetings of the musical minds. Enjoy! Feature photo: Roberto Fonseca (Cuba) and Fatoumata Diawara (Mali) at Fez World Sacred Music Festival 2015. Foto: Catalina María Johnson