AUSTIN, Texas — There’s something to be said about a strong legacy that continues to make waves, and that’s 88.7 FM KAZI radio in Austin.
“Oh man, this is, this is home,” said Jabari Warfield, on-air personality. “This is home.”
It’s where Warfield had his first on-air opportunity as a teenager. Almost overnight, KAZI became one of the first conduits for Black voices in Austin.
Jabari’s father, the late Dr. John Warfield, a UT professor of African American studies, founded the station in 1982.
“Back in the day, you know, in the ’80s, you couldn’t really talk about certain things that were going on in Austin or in the world,” said Jabari. “You would get taken off the air, or, you know, then people would, you know, protest outside of your door.”
KAZI pushed through the noise and continues to have those tough conversations and ones that matter to the station’s community.
“He wanted people to know that at some point the contribution of African Americans is extremely important,” said Jabari. “It can’t be swept under the rug.”
The station has also pushed the boundaries of music.
“We were the first radio station to play rap music, right?” said Jabari. “We embraced rap music. We had Run DMC here. We had Roger Troutman from the group Zap.”
“Destiny’s Child came through,” said Marion Nickerson, producer, community coordinator and radio personality.
Nickerson is one of those pulse beats of the KAZI legacy, not by blood but by time.
“Forty-two years,” said Nickerson. “I was here when we used cards. You don’t know what cards are, but when we used tapes, like eight-track tapes.”
Like most of the people you see at the station, Nickerson is a volunteer. You can catch him on air, or behind the screen scheduling the programs.
“What kept me here,” said Nickerson, “the family, the family vibe, the family atmosphere.”
On any given day you can hear a mix of R&B, soul, hip-hop, jazz, gospel, blues, reggae, zydeco, talk, community information, independent news and more.
KAZI is now one of the oldest community stations in Austin. It’s donation-based and doesn’t broadcast commercials, so it hasn’t been easy keeping the sound of Austin flowing. They were forced to get off air in the past, but now, the future, Jabari said, is loud and clear.
“I think at some point there is expansion on the horizon,” said Jabari.
His father’s legacy will continue to make waves.
If you would like to support the station, on top of donations it does accept show sponsorships.