What's more fun? Punk rock or old tunes from the '30s? Maxixe Machine's unabashed vote is for the latter. This irreverent band whose name speaks volumes (maxixe is the oldest purely Brazilian dance and a precursor to samba, while machine is self-explanatory) emerged in 1994 as a parallel project of the rock/pop group Beijo AA Força, which had been around since 1983. Eventually, the newer entity took over completely. The older band released the album Sem Suingue (Without Swing), and Maxixe Machine continues to wave the same banner, a tongue-in-cheek commentary on their hometown that hails from the same crucible where Polish jokes are made. By now you get the idea that Maxixe Machine doesn't look on the world with a straight face. Swing or no, they manage to produce a bewildering quantity of music, both old tunes (sambas, marchinhas, valsas, guaranias, polkas) that sound new and new tunes of their own that sound old. Maxixe Machine hails from Curitiba, capital city of the southern Brazilian state of Parana. Luiz Ferreira plays cavaquinho, acoustic guitar and samplers; Ricardo "O Rosinha" plays the enormous array of percussion instruments (zabumba, surdo, pandeiro, drums, etc.); Rodrigo Barros Homem Del Rey is the lead vocalist and also acoustic guitarist; Therciano Albuquerque plays the piano; and Walmor Douglas Goes provides guitar solos. All band members do vocals, too. Maxixe Machine has received some important recognition from the Curitiban arts community. Among such awards, the group was presented the Saul Trumpet Best Group Award of 1998.