Feature Photo and Photo Above by Lola Akinmade

There has been no shortage of press surrounding the Boeing 747 jetliner that was converted to a hostel just outside of Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport. The Jumbo Hostel opened in January and Matador caught up with 36-year old entrepreneur and owner, Oscar Diös, to find out what all the fuss was about.

Matador: So which came first? The idea of converting a plane to a hostel or an available plane itself that spun the idea?

I currently own a hostel in Uppsala and was actually looking to expand my hostel business first. It was difficult finding buildings to convert to hostels within our budget.

Then someone told me about a Boeing 747 plane that was standing at the airport. At the time, the plane was not really available. We started investigating to see if it would be possible to turn it into a hostel by reviewing different layout designs. We really wanted to keep the windows to bring in a lot of light and have the rooms facing outwards.

Photo by Urban A.

Matador: You’ve been in the press a lot lately. What has the world’s reception been to your new hostel?

Very overwhelming but of course a lot of publicity about the project is always great. We’re working quite hard and it’s great to get positive feedback, especially from close friends who say “Oscar, this is actually pretty good.”

Aviation enthusiasts who have seen it are pleased that we’ve kept most of the layout of the plane. We’re also keeping the décor very simple. As you can see, we haven’t slapped a lot of posters and pictures up on the walls yet.

We’re taking it step by step to get a feel for what’s really needed in terms of interior design.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Matador: This hostel sits just outside the airport, which is roughly 25 miles from Stockholm. Has the location been a negative issue for you? Were there other possible locations where you could have moved the plane?

We have a free shuttle bus from the airport terminals. From the airport, guests can catch trains and buses to Stockholm quite easily. There is a pedestrian walkway which is just 15 minutes from the airport. Of course, during the winter, the walkway is not very convenient.

This was the easiest location for us to keep the plane, because it’s just outside the airport security fence.

To keep within our budget, it became the best location for the plane.

The location has actually been excellent for publicity because it is very visible and an impressive sight from the highway as you approach the airport.

Matador: What has been the most impractical issue you’ve had to deal with while converting the plane?

Insulation and using all floor space in the best optimal way was the most difficult aspect of renovating. Because it is a Boeing 747 airplane, the walls curve outwards. Measuring all the walls and taking their curves into account when designing and fitting the rooms proved to be challenging.

Photo by Lola Akinmade

Matador: Why did you choose to call it “Hostel” as opposed to “Hotel?” Are you targeting a specific group of travelers? Are you worried you may exclude a certain group?

There are a ton of hotels near the airport but there aren’t any hostels. There have never been.

If we made it a hotel, then we won’t be as unique. I prefer to come in and bring something new, not just a plane but an actual hostel to the area.

So now we’re unique in two senses – we’re the first hostel and the first plane to provide lodging in the area.

Also, we prefer to be an up market, upscale hostel rather than a low market, low cost hotel. Jumbo Hostel serves as a two star hotel so we can be both to cater to various types of travelers who want to experience the plane.

Photo by Urban A.

Matador: Any more Jumbo Hostels in the works?

Yes, we’re already looking at possible expansion. This is the first one so we need to have a good reference point because for people, seeing is believing.

Finding the planes might not be that difficult but finding good locations at airports around the world might be more challenging and for that, we need this project to be the model for future reference.

The concept is similar to the boat hostels in Stockholm but this project is a lot bigger to renovate and design.

Taking a plane from a 490 passenger jet to a 72 guest hostel is quite a big difference.

Video Tour of the Jumbo Hostel

COMMUNITY CONNECTION

Looking for some of the world’s best hostels? Check out Matador’s guide to the 20 craziest party hostels around the world.

Growing up in Nigeria, I remember how parents deemed the Afrika Shrine off-limits. Shrouded in mystery, with rumors of being a hedonistic drug haven during the eighties, there was an air of mystique that hung around a 20 mile radius of the club.

It wasn’t until years later, when I watched a shirtless Femi Kuti drenched in sweat manically playing a saxophone with the legendary beaded Kuti dancers gyrating at a dizzying pace, that I began to get a sense of what his father, Fela, must have been like during his heyday.

Uncanny physical resemblance aside, Femi seemed to have been channeling his father’s spirit on stage.

Who Fela Was

Arguably the Elvis Presley of Africa in terms of fame, Fela Kuti’s invention of Afrobeat – a fusion of rhythmic jazz beats overlain with Yoruba music – in the early sixties transported raw West African traditional sounds to a global landscape.

Born Fela Ransome Kuti to a feminist and a Reverend, Fela left to study at the Trinity College of Music in London at the age of 19. It was during his years at Trinity when he formed his first band, Koola Lobitos. Years later, he would establish a nightclub in Ikeja, Lagos called “Afro-Spot” as his base for playing his new wave of music he called “Afrobeat.” In 1971, Afro-Spot became the Afrika Shrine, where he performed regularly. He would later form a new band called Egypt 80.

Lagos, Nigeria photo by zouzouwizman

After a short stint in the US, Fela returned to Nigeria with a new, fervent energy. His lyrics became politically charged – a reflection of the ruling powers within Nigeria he deemed oppressive. He formed the Kalakuta Republic, which he declared an independent colony from Nigeria. He changed his name to Fela Anikulapo Kuti which means “he who carries death in his pouch.”

By 1978, he had married 27 women, mostly his backup dancers and singers, as a protest against frequent raids on his Kalakuta Republic compound by the government ,which wasn’t too keen on his musical content. He would later rotate the number of wives he kept – keeping 12 at a time.

Fela died of complications resulting from HIV/AIDS in 1997.

Revered as “Baba,” which means “Father” in Yoruba, his ardent supporters see him as an oracle and pay homage to his shrine before important journeys or meetings.

Femi Kuti photo by tom.beetz

The Kuti Legacy

Many of Fela’s children have followed in his musical footsteps. The most popular isFemi Kuti, whose striking resemblance to his father and raw, unadulterated energy behind the saxophone is reminiscent of classic Fela with a modern edge. Seun Kuti, also a saxophonist and vocalist, and Fela’s youngest son, now leads his father’s former band, Egypt 80.

Yeni Kuti, Femi’s older sister, fondly known as YK Power, actively scouts out some of the most talented hip swaying backup dancers for Femi’s performances.

A Visit to the Shrine

As compound aides showed us around and took us backstage, they kept marveling at pictures they’d probably seen a couple hundred times, paying homage to every photograph of “Baba” we passed. Their reverence was undeniable.

We ran into Yeni Kuti at the compound. A quick phone call was made to Femi to see if he could meet with us for an interview. Unfortunately, a mild case of malaria kept him in bed through our visit to the shrine.

I got the sense that once you walked in through the doors of the compound, you were instantly treated like family and the Kutis were open and readily accessible to you.

The Shrine Today

An internationally acclaimed artist in his own right, Femi puts on free performances every Tuesday and Thursday night. Rehearsals start at 9 PM; dancers are followed by a full show, which ends between 12 AM and 1 AM.

Every Friday night the Shrine puts on a free disco night called Gobe Night; an estimated 10,000 people pass through its doors on Gobe Nights.

Admission to performances at the shrine is free of charge except on Sundays when a 500 Naira* cover charge is required.
*500 Naira – $4.25

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 performing in San Francisco. Photo by CultrVultr

Resources:

Read Fela Kuti’s full biography with links to related articles.

Visit the Afrika Shrine online.

View clips of Fela Kuti and Femi Kuti performances on YouTube.

View 2008 European tour dates for both Femi and Seun Kuti.

Want to get your groove on? check out these CDs:

[Fela CD] The Best Best of Fela Kuti

[Seun CD] Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

[Femi Kuti live at the shrine] Femi Kuti – Live at the Shrine [Deluxe Edition DVD + Live CD]