The Sand and the Sea
Come to me, come to me
Many people my age remember The Sand and the Sea, a hit song written by Hal Hester and recorded by Nat “King” Cole around 1955. I remember the song, of course, but I also remember the man who wrote it and his nightclub in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico.
I arrived on the island in 1960, when The Sand and the Sea — the recording — had already sold more than a million copies, and the club of the same name on San Francisco Street near La Fortaleza had become a mainstay of nightlife in the Old City.
My first year as a student at the University of Puerto Rico revolved around the classroom, the beach, and the club — my tropical triangle. Each was important to me — I never neglected my studies, never turned down an invitation to explore a new beach, and joined my friends at The Sand and the Sea whenever I could. Young and fancy-free!
Early each evening, Hal would take over the room’s huge piano bar to work on a musical play he was creating with Danny Apolinar, or on one of the songs he wrote for popular singers of the day. But late at night, he would always start his first set with the Sand and the Sea.
