a particularly interesting type of carnival bloco, if it can be calssified as such, are the so called 'blocos 'afro'.

the blocos afros, or african blocos, have incorporated aspects of african culture into the way participants dress, the rhythms they perform, and the lyrics they sing.

differently from other street parties taking the streets of rio, these events have a clearly more serious undertone, even in their official denomination -in fact, while commonly referred to as 'blocos', these gatherings are officially named 'blocos afro-cultural', highlighting the cultural aspects of the organization.

historically, there are records dating back to 1885 of what may have been the first bloco afro - formed in northeastern brazil in salvador de bahia, it was called embaixada africana.