Popular gospel artiste Gifty Osei has said there was the need for Ghanaian musicians, especially gospel musicians, to upgrade themselves if they want to be on the international stage.

Speaking in an interview with Nana Romeo on Accra100.5FM’s mid-morning show, Ayekoo Ayekoo, on Friday November 18, Gifty said: “Anything you do, you have to upgrade yourself. If you want to go international you have to learn what is acceptable on the international stage and that has made me the all-round person.

Touching on why she likes engaging in controversies, Gifty, who was at the centre of a fresh storm last July after uploading to Instagram a video of herself in heavy make-up, said: “As a human, you should make yourself happy from time to time. You know, the perception about gospel artistes is that we are snobbish, that we do not socialise and all, so that day I was just having fun.”

According to her, she has a sunny disposition to life and views insults on her person on social media and other platforms lightly, adding that her nine years in Ghana’s showbiz industry had conditioned her to take the good with the bad.

The Aseda songstress said: “If you are new to the industry and do not understand how things work, you would think people hate you. ... I like criticism. Hearing I have done something improper chastens me.

“… It makes me realise that people are observing me, so I take the good criticisms to perfect my life.”