AB Crentsil taught me stagecraft – Gifty Osei

Gospel songstress Gifty Osei has stated she has had no regrets working with ace highlife musician A.B. Crentsil’s Ahenfo band, given she learnt many things which have been priceless for her career.

The Aseda singer, prior to emerging on Ghana’s gospel music scene in 2007, said she worked as a fashion designer during the day and moonlighted as a gospel singer with the Ahenfo band.

However unconventional it was for a gospel musician to cut her teeth with a highlife band, Gifty Osei said her one-and-a-half years’ stint with the group brought her benefits.

“I have not regretted anything. I think I rather learnt a lot from the experience…” she told Andy Favoured, host of Gospel 360, on Accra FM Sunday November 27.

She said as a “church girl” and a “very deep person” with respect to religion, her role in the band was solely the ministration of gospel songs, which she executed, never slipping into alcoholism, clubbing, and other stereotypes associated with secular band members.

The 2012 VGMA Gospel Artiste of the Year and Gospel Album of the Year winner quit the band prior to getting married a decade ago, but said she came away with some skills that would be of benefit to her in her gospel career.

“…What I learnt most from A.B Crentsil was stagecraft,” noted Gifty Osei, who is also known for such tracks as Jesus Be Too Much, Yento Nkyia, Fefeefe, Nkunim, among others.

The legendary highlife artiste, according to her, had “a way of exciting audiences” by producing a fresh performance on each occasion he took to the stage.

“Also, I learnt how…to get the attention of your audience so you can get your message across,” added Gifty Osei.