Across and beyond the Alamo City, radio listeners tuned in Sunday evenings to hear the familiar voice of “Jazz de México” host Jorge Canavati.

The broadcaster, who dedicated more than 16 years to Trinity University’s independent radio station KRTU, died Friday afternoon, the radio station announced Sunday on social media. A cause of death was not listed.

Canavati passed while “Alfie” by Marian McPartland was playing on the radio, KRTU said in a Facebook post. The radio station called it a “fitting tribute from one legendary jazz broadcaster to another.”

“Alfie” is a song about how, “Without true love, we just exist” – lyrics that resonate with the legacy of kindness, care and passion that encapsulate Canavati’s career, the station said.

Canavati was a lifelong music lover, who once shared that he began listening to music at age three. His exploration of jazz began as a recording engineer in the late 1970s, though he didn’t fully plunge into the genre until he started working at KRTU in 2010.

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His high-quality production skills combined with what KRTU described as “his kind, jovial spirit and larger-than-life sense of humor” created a lasting impact at the radio station and to its listeners.

“Since he came on board, Jorge has been a huge part of our identity as a station and our community, and such a warm and wonderful colleague,” a community host shared with KRTU in its tribute. “He is utterly irreplaceable.”

Canavati used his role on the airwaves to amplify jazz musicians throughout the globe who were lacking a spotlight. His appreciation of music expanded to his colleagues, as he was known to tune into every program and send praiseful texts to the other hosts, the radio station said.

Beyond being a beloved radio producer, Canavati produced concerts, hosted educational panels and supported musicians’ creative projects.

Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who served as KRTU general manager before he was elected mayor, praised Canavati for “building bridges.”

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“Jorge Canavati’s contributions to the modern bonds between San Antonio and Mexico spanned jazz music to air service to Sister City partnerships,” Nirenberg said in a Facebook post. “His legacy will live in the countless friendships he enabled and an unfiltered smile that was San Antonio’s best greeting to the world. Rest in peace, my friend.”

Canavati’s voice and regular program “Jazz de México” will be on airwaves Sunday night. Listeners can tune into the celebration of Canavati’s legacy from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m on 91.7 FM and online at KRTU.org.

This article originally published at San Antonio radio station mourns death of longtime radio show host.