He was born in San Antonio de los Baños in January 23rd, 1848 and died in Havana in April 27th, 1905. His father, Lucas Valenzuela, taught him his first music lessons. Besides trombon, he played other instruments: viola, piano and percussion. He played the trombon during the great opera seasons. He composed contradanzas, songs, guarachas, rumbas and, mainly, danzones; together with some classical style works and brief creations in religious and chamber music.
He wrote some zarzuelas ("La mulata MarÃa", among them). He arranged instrumental versions for danzones from Italian opera excerpts, such as those from "Rigoletto", "Tosca", and "Madame Butterfly", among others. Since 1864 he played in the Juan de Dios Alfonso´s orchestra, and, when he died, he was appointed conductor of that danzón group, which from then on was named: "Orquesta TÃpica de Raimundo Valenzuela".
His typical orchestra got quite popular at the end of XIX Century and begining of the XX. He also collaborated, economical and personal, with the Cuban independence struggle.