He is the uncle of R&B producer and jazz pianist Carlos "Los Da Mystro" McKinney.
He first worked with Barry Harris and Sonny Stitt in 1951, and played with Alvin Jackson's band early in the decade.
In the 1970s he performed with Archie Shepp, Carlos Garnett, Harold Vick, Frank Foster, Charles Tolliver, Abdullah Ibrahim, and McCoy Tyner.
Other musicians Zawadi worked with include Mongo Santamaría, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, and Aretha Franklin.
[1] With Frank Foster With Slide Hampton With Freddie Hubbard With Clifford Jordan With Yusef Lateef With others