Yvonne Jegede Shares Story Behind Her Casting in 2Baba’s ‘African Queen’
Nollywood actress Yvonne Jegede has revealed the surprising series of events that led to her appearance in 2Baba’s classic music video, African Queen. Speaking to BellaNaija, Jegede said the opportunity came abruptly while she was on the set of Missing Angel.
“I was sitting beside Uncle Charles when his phone rang,” she recounted. “Charles Nova turned to me and said Uzor, the director of African Queen, wanted to speak to me.” Jegede said the call felt sudden, with the director telling her, “I want you to do a music video for me tomorrow.”
Initially, she declined, explaining that she had previously featured in videos where her role was limited to dancing. “I said I don’t want to do a music video,” she noted. Even after learning it was for 2Face’s (now 2Baba) African Queen, she remained hesitant.
Her perspective shifted after speaking with a friend later that evening. “Before I could finish saying African Queen, my friend was quivering on the phone,” she said. He urged her to accept, insisting the opportunity was too significant to pass up, despite the fact that she had never heard the song at the time.
Motivated by the conversation, Jegede called the director back around 9 p.m. and agreed to participate. She immediately headed to Surulere, where preparations for her hairstyle were already underway. “After they were done, I took a bike to the location,” she said.
The shoot became a defining moment in her career. Jegede, now a familiar face in Nollywood, says her journey began with that video. “That was the beginning of my career, with the African Queen video,” she said.
