The History of AFP

The discovery of Portuguese singer, Mariza, was a find worth writing about.  Mariza's voice is simply beautiful, inspires music in all languages, and her honors are truly impressive.

Mariza's debut album - Fado em Mim (Fado in Me) - sold 100,000 copies in Portugal alone (4,000 copies is considered successful).  On an international level, the album sold 140,000 copies.  

(Sounds of Portugal - Mariza)

Mariza's profound success led me to wonder what album certification is like in Portugal...

The history of AFP.

In Portuguese, AFP stands for Associacao Fonografica Portuguesa.  The English translation is Phonographic Association of Portugal (AFP).

AFP was founded in 1989 and is a member of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

Album Certification since 2011
Gold - 7,500
Platinum - 15,000

Singles Certification since 2011
Gold - 10,000
Platinum - 20,000

Music DVDs since 2008
Gold - 4,000
Platinum - 8,000

(Wikipedia)

As you can tell, there is a striking difference in what the RIAA (American) and the AFP consider the highest level of certification.  I can only imagine the record set by Mariza's first album.

Although the history of AFP is minimal in research, certification standards are quite intriguing.