Composer of the successful sambas-enredo Quilombo dos Palmares, Mártires da Independência, Água do Rio, and Xica da Silva (all written with Noel Rosa de Oliveira) that won top places for his samba school Salgueiro in the annual Carnaval contest, Anescar do Salgueiro was a major innovator in the genre, influencing all subsequent productions. His was the first samba-enredo to pay tribute to heroes of the people (Chica da Silva), instead of the public figures of the official history. Anescar was a member of the legendary groups A Voz do Morro, Rosa de Ouro, and Os Cinco Crioulos, together with some of the best sambistas ever, like Zé Kéti, Nelson Sargento, Elton Medeiros, Paulinho da Viola, and others. Among his successes recorded with them, Vou Partir, Carnaval Que Passou, Meus Dias São de Sol, and Bom Conselho are some examples. In the '70s, João Bosco and Aldir Blanc dedicated Siri Recheado É o Cacete to him.

Also known as Anescarzinho or Nescarzinho, son of one of the pioneering sambistas of the Salgueiro hill in Rio, Anescar wrote in 1949 his first samba-enredo, Maravilhas do Brasil, for the Unidos do Salgueiro samba school, who got fifth place in the annual parade with the song. In the next year, the school earned sixth place with his samba-enredo Mártires da Independência (with Noel Rosa de Oliveira). In 1953, Anescar was invited to join the Ala dos Compositores (Composers' Wing) of the Acadêmicos do Salgueiro samba school. In 1960, his samba-enredo Quilombo dos Palmares (with Noel Rosa de Oliveira/Walter Moreira) gave first place to his school. He also scored a hit with the samba de terreiro Água do Rio (Só Resta Saudade) (with Noel Rosa de Oliveira). In 1962, he wrote Descobrimento do Brasil (with Noel Rosa de Oliveira). Together with Fernando Pamplona, Anescar idealized a major innovation in the Carnaval plots: usually the schools dealt with major events in the official history of Brazil. In 1963, Anescar's samba-enredo Chica da Silva (with Noel Rosa de Oliveira) paid tribute, for the first time, to a person of the people.

Anescar participated, in 1965, in the historic musical +Rosa de Ouro, in which the career of Clementina de Jesus was launched. The event was recorded and released in two LPs, Rosa de Ouro, Vol. I (1965) and Rosa de Ouro, Vol. II (1967). In 1965, Zé Kéti formed A Voz do Morro with Anescar, Paulinho da Viola, Oscar Bigode, Jair do Cavaquinho, and Zé Cruz. In 1967, Anescar joined Os Cinco Crioulos, with Paulinho da Viola, Nelson Sargento, Jair do Cavaquinho, and Elton Medeiros; a group that opened at a historic show with Clementina de Jesus, Nora Ney, and Ciro Monteiro. ~ Alvaro Neder, Rovi