Raimundo Valenzuela

Valenzuela studied music under his father, Lucas: he learnt piano, viola, percussion, but was first employed by Orquesta Flor de Cuba as a trombonist.

That night the theatre had been performing anti-colonial works for the benefit of rebels declaring Cuban independence, in what became known as the Ten Years' War.

It was in 1883 that Valenzuela added a third segment to the two-part structure created by Faílde, so completing the danzón's musical form.

By the mid-1880s the danzón had become so popular that both Faílde and Valenzuela created back-up bands so as to be able to play two venues on the same night.

As early as 1879 we find "This dirty rhythm forced the dancers into obscene movements" [7] "First we had the danza, then came the danzón... next it will be the rumba, and finally we'll all end up dancing ñáñigo!"