Impressions: Reggae Sundaze at Jamaica’s Wickie Wackie Beach

Photos: Martei Korley
Model: Laci Roache
Make-Up: Loni Jones
Swimwear: WETswim by Denyque
T-shirt: Jamaica Sound System Federation
Bracelet: Story And Myth

Reggae Month—as February is becoming known in Jamaica, thanks to the efforts of the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA)—is coming to a close, after four weeks of programming celebrating the music and culture, island wide. Here at LargeUp, every month is Reggae Month; isn’t it about time there was a Reggae Year? To end Reggae Month in style, we recently set out to a secluded stretch of Jamaica’s Wickie Wackie Beach with model Laci Roache in tow, with the aim of preserving those February Jamaica vibes forever.

Located east of Kingston in the area of Bull Bay, Wickie Wackie is not your typical postcard beach with white sand and crystal-blue water. Rather, it’s a postcard of realness, an off-the-beaten-path destination for those in the know, set amidst some of Jamaica’s most dramatic coastline. You’re more likely to run into herds of goats than crowds of people here. Those that do make the journey are rewarded with views some have compared to St. Lucia’s Gros Piton, with its picturesque clash of coastal mountain peaks, and endless ocean.

The spirit here is one that hasn’t gone unnoticed by reggae artists. Bob Marley lived in Bull Bay in the early ’70s, frequenting local beaches like this one, and a stretch of sand just a stones’ throw away in Saint Thomas now bears his name. More recently, the locally-based band Raging Fyah came to prominence with their Wickie Wackie Live concert series here, hosting beachside performances and bonfires featuring such artists as Chronixx, Jesse Royal and Romain Virgo. Rising stars No-Maddz lived in the vicinity, until recently; we shot our webisode “On The Move with Jamaica’s No-Maddz” here with them in 2012, and the area’s natural beauty is reflected in that sunrise-set shoot.

This time, photographer Martei Korley tapped a different sort of natural beauty, Laci Roache, to model swimwear by WETswim, a new beach line from dancehall artist Denyque. See the images below, and be sure to click the arrow in the top right corner below to view the photos in full-screen—the way they were meant to be seen, zeen?