The jazz ensemble “Boomerang” from Alma-Ata was founded in 1975 by the brothers Takhir and Farkhad Ibragimov. The first lineup included Takhir on drums and percussion, Farkhad on double bass and bass guitar, and Vladimir Nazarov on keyboards. Later, trumpeter Valery Bannov, saxophonist Viktor Nikolaev, and percussionist Mikhail Dzhuraev joined them.
From 1979 to 1982, the ensemble called “Aray” performed accompanied by the pop singer Roza Rymbaeva, while continuing its jazz activities under the name “Boomerang”. The main venue for performances was the conservatory hall. In 1982, “Aray” began performing as a separate group with a new lineup. In the first half of the 1980s, the “Medeo” group existed within the ensemble; it released one record. Based on “Medeo,” Vladimir Nazarov created the band “Sunkar,” which also released a single album.
“Boomerang” participated in various jazz festivals, including those in Fergana (1978, 1984), Novosibirsk (1978–1996), Yaroslavl (1981), Moscow (1982, 1990), and other cities. Tahir Ibragimov, the leader of the ensemble, was repeatedly recognized as the best drummer in the Soviet Union. In the late 1980s, “Boomerang” performed in Moscow on the same stage as such world‑renowned jazz stars as the Bast Williams Quintet, the Benny Golson Quartet, the Freddie Hubbard Quintet, and the Sun Ra Ensemble. In 1993, the ensemble performed in Kassel, Germany, together with the German guitarist Hans Thammen.
