in the intricate genealogy of samba music, samba carnavalesco can be used as something of a blanket term to refer to all types of samba created for carnaval carnaval blocos.

however, this can be a bit tricky, as the respective histories of samba and carnival in rio are often inextricable, so it most commonly refers specifically to traditional themes that people sing and dance to during carnival festivities.

these traditional songs are also known as 'marchinhas,' immensely popular during their heyday between the 1920s and 1960s, though their roots go back even further to the turn of the century.