Suzio club nights are the place to go to sweat. Founders Baby Cocada and Manuka Honey alongside residents Architect and TNSXORDS have become key players in the club scene as a collective, all this while taking their stellar individual careers to new heights. Respect, authenticity and diversity are pillars on which they built Suzio, all while championing the creation of intentional spaces for artists from Latin America and its diaspora.
At a time where clubbing doesn’t seem appealing to the general public anymore, these witches and wizards have managed to pump new life into the scene and awaken new interest. We catch up with these icons on everything about Suzio days before Villano Antillano headlines at Colour Factory in London on Friday 8th November. Suzio divulge challenges and what they see for the future, to the secrets behind their ever-growing success. Catch them before their global domination.
Missing out on a Suzio night can give you serious FOMO. It is more than a club night though, as Manuka Honey tells us it’s a “sanctuary in the form of a dancefloor and community”. No wonder Resident Advisor highlighted several editions of Suzio as an RA pick, of course hundreds of people religiously flock to venues across London every time a new event takes place. With their debut taking place in 2022 having Toccororo as the first ever headliner, groundbreaking and iconic artists like DJ Lizz, Isabella Lovestory, Safety Trance have all graced the Suzio stage with Villano Antillano making her UK debut very soon at Suzio.
Always bringing heat behind the decks expect to hear the hottest sounds from the LatAm underground ranging from avant-garde latin club sounds to reggeaton and beyond. Suzio’s inclusive policies, with a focus on LatAm and its diaspora, allows everyone to float through clattering snares, feel sexy, and move like syrup to seductive sounds that challenge the monolith of what latin club is to people right now. London might be a big city and have hundreds of clubs and venues but there is only one Suzio. If you haven’t heard about the faces behind Suzio don’t worry, we’ll give you a rundown.
Manuka Honey is not only one of the co-founders but also a DJ, producer, professional astrologer and more. We sat down a while ago with her following the release of her second full length EP, 3Eternities Beneath You, and since then it’s only been uphill for the sorceress with an upcoming USA tour furthering the reach of sounds like shatta, turreo, dembow and more through her mystic concoctions. The second cofounder, and pisces, behind Suzio is Venezuelan born singer songwriter, producer and DJ, Baby Cocada. As the main host, the up-and-coming artist brings everyone to the dance floor with her groovy selection of reggaeton and dembow tracks.
Gearing up for future releases, you can also catch the London based diva’s mixes on NTS radio and other features such as DJ Florentino’s track Hysterika. On the other hand we have Architect, a DJ and producer part of London’s favourite party starters, Prestige Pak and NTS Radio, bringing the club styles, rap, dancehall and perreo to Suzio. Lastly, having debuted in 2024, TNSXORDS and his blend of intricate club rhythms, abrasive textures, delicate melodies bring the sonic heritage of the Mediterranean. With a curated series of live performances, DJ sets and radio residencies, the artist and songwriter is one to watch. Why tell you more when they can lend us a hand?
Manuka Honey & Baby Cocada are wearing ISABELLA CALZONETTI.
For all the readers who haven’t heard of Suzio yet, who is behind it? How would you describe it?
Baby Cocada: Two witches started the wave, now we got two wizards that joined the club. Suzio is the place to not be demure, it is a latin-pleated-micro-skirt-platform-heels core baddie dancing hasta abajo.
Manuka Honey: Exactamente. It’s our haven of hedonism; our sexy sanctuary in the form of a dancefloor and community. A space where you’re just as likely to hear a Tego Calderón track as you are Latincore.
Manuka Honey: Exactamente. It’s our haven of hedonism; our sexy sanctuary in the form of a dancefloor and community. A space where you’re just as likely to hear a Tego Calderón track as you are Latincore.
As curators, residents and creatives in charge amongst other things, both of you run the show. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that you maintain a close friendship. How did you two meet?
Baby Cocada: Long story short, back in 2021 I was working on a couple of tracks with DJ Florentino and he introduced us — needless to say he defo has an eye for good matches.
Manuka Honey: Yup. It was love at first Thai food order on my sofa. We both had the same vision in terms of what was lacking from London’s music scene, and we both realised we had finally found the right person to fix it.
Architect: Coincidently I was there also.
Manuka Honey: Yup. It was love at first Thai food order on my sofa. We both had the same vision in terms of what was lacking from London’s music scene, and we both realised we had finally found the right person to fix it.
Architect: Coincidently I was there also.
What inspired you to create Suzio? What intention did you have in mind?
Manuka Honey: It just felt so natural. The vision of our party came from what we knew existed elsewhere, but with the twist of our own tastes and aesthetic melted together. We also knew how important it would be to have two women like us at the helm of it all.
Baby Cocada: We literally weren’t served options ourselves. We were desperate to go to Suzio but it didn’t exist, so we made it happen.
Baby Cocada: We literally weren’t served options ourselves. We were desperate to go to Suzio but it didn’t exist, so we made it happen.
How would you describe the atmosphere for someone who hasn’t attended?
Baby Cocada: The feedback we always get and what we observe from our end is that is fucking fun, it brings different flavours within a similar wavelength and that people feel really comfy to be social, dance, dress up. So far it is a solid community and we are very happy to see familiar faces returning and new faces being shook at the vibes served.
Manuka Honey: I totally agree with Baby Cocada. It really is a unique space because people’s desire to stunt and dress up doesn’t interfere with the vibe. Everyone wants to serve cunt but not be a cunt at our party. There’s a feminine aspect to Suzio that’s hard to encapsulate into words. The community is simultaneously so fierce, yet so soft and kind; I never worry about bringing my friends who aren’t club rats like us into the space because it’s just good vibes.
TNSXORDS: It’s hard to compare. There’s a genuine sense of appreciation for the diversity in music and for each other’s company — people are open, expressive, and fully present. It’s brilliantly colourful even when the music pushes you towards the dark. The kind of atmosphere where you’ll walk away not just with memories but with a real connection to the moment, the sound, and the people you shared it with.
Manuka Honey: I totally agree with Baby Cocada. It really is a unique space because people’s desire to stunt and dress up doesn’t interfere with the vibe. Everyone wants to serve cunt but not be a cunt at our party. There’s a feminine aspect to Suzio that’s hard to encapsulate into words. The community is simultaneously so fierce, yet so soft and kind; I never worry about bringing my friends who aren’t club rats like us into the space because it’s just good vibes.
TNSXORDS: It’s hard to compare. There’s a genuine sense of appreciation for the diversity in music and for each other’s company — people are open, expressive, and fully present. It’s brilliantly colourful even when the music pushes you towards the dark. The kind of atmosphere where you’ll walk away not just with memories but with a real connection to the moment, the sound, and the people you shared it with.
The visuals, the music and the aesthetics of the people who attend all seem to form a very eclectic and random but cohesive monolith. Is it the audience that makes the party or is it the party that inspires the audience to express themselves in a certain way?
Baby Cocada: We love the Suzio crowd! It is an ecosystem, we listen, but we also curate to our taste. We are super happy to have this great dynamic with the audience that is so in tune. They trust us and we trust them. It is a true celebration to see the character of the audience going off on the stage.
Manuka Honey: Exactly. It’s all so symbiotic. We’ve done polls on our IG page asking who people want to see and listen to, but we’ve also deliberately chosen to challenge people’s taste! We always set up our curation to maximise how the party flows and grows in energy right until the end.
TNSXORDS: That’s a great question, and honestly, it’s a bit of both. The experience and the people within it inspire each other. For us, it’s more about creating special moments for the people we love while welcoming more into that circle. It’s a sentiment of openness that starts beyond the party itself, and we all work to foster that spirit in everything we do.
Architect: I think a really nice quality of Suzio is while it definitely speaks to and prioritises a Latinx audience and also a LGBTQ+ audience, it’s not explicitly for one group. You get a healthy mix, but crucially the core audience provides the energy that encourages proper dancing from the first hour to the last.
Manuka Honey: Exactly. It’s all so symbiotic. We’ve done polls on our IG page asking who people want to see and listen to, but we’ve also deliberately chosen to challenge people’s taste! We always set up our curation to maximise how the party flows and grows in energy right until the end.
TNSXORDS: That’s a great question, and honestly, it’s a bit of both. The experience and the people within it inspire each other. For us, it’s more about creating special moments for the people we love while welcoming more into that circle. It’s a sentiment of openness that starts beyond the party itself, and we all work to foster that spirit in everything we do.
Architect: I think a really nice quality of Suzio is while it definitely speaks to and prioritises a Latinx audience and also a LGBTQ+ audience, it’s not explicitly for one group. You get a healthy mix, but crucially the core audience provides the energy that encourages proper dancing from the first hour to the last.
Manuka Honey & Baby Cocada are wearing ISABELLA CALZONETTI.
Why do you think people keep coming back religiously?
Baby Cocada: It is a perreo sanctuary.
Manuka Honey: Truly. There’s something so magical about the Suzio dance floor. It’s a mix of shes, theys dolls and gays plus trad. All of that plus top tier music? It all makes sense.
Manuka Honey: Truly. There’s something so magical about the Suzio dance floor. It’s a mix of shes, theys dolls and gays plus trad. All of that plus top tier music? It all makes sense.
What makes Suzio different from other parties in London?
Baby Cocada: It might sound cliché, but we are the audience, it was created from our own needs and understanding that first hand does make a difference. We are not just promoters, we are also musicians, and Manuka Honey also just knows, trust me.
Manuka Honey: I agree with Baby Cocada 100%. Additionally, we also have years of experience between the two of us that has helped us understand what ingredients we need to make a party pop. Before I was a full time touring musician and astrologer, I worked in a venue in Hackney Wick, managed events, and was just a baby queer who was part of the scene!
Architect: I think you do genuinely get a full spectrum of sounds and tempos from the opening hour to the last. As Baby Cocada said, it’s a reflection of what we all want to hear and felt was missing. You’ll hear all the classic reggaeton and perreo, but also the latest baile funk, cumbiaton, dembow as well as more electronic dance sounds like guaracha which is really dominating globally right now.
Manuka Honey: I agree with Baby Cocada 100%. Additionally, we also have years of experience between the two of us that has helped us understand what ingredients we need to make a party pop. Before I was a full time touring musician and astrologer, I worked in a venue in Hackney Wick, managed events, and was just a baby queer who was part of the scene!
Architect: I think you do genuinely get a full spectrum of sounds and tempos from the opening hour to the last. As Baby Cocada said, it’s a reflection of what we all want to hear and felt was missing. You’ll hear all the classic reggaeton and perreo, but also the latest baile funk, cumbiaton, dembow as well as more electronic dance sounds like guaracha which is really dominating globally right now.
While there are a lot of Latinxs and Latin culture present in London, the nightlife options available don’t seem to be proportional to it. Suzio is known for its experimental and exciting combination of a lot of these latin genres and sounds and thus, has quickly established a revered status in the city’s nightlife. Has Suzio been met with obstacles because of its alternative and new approach when compared other parties in the city?
Manuka Honey: Whenever you try to do something new and unprecedented, people are scared of the risk involved. Given this, we knew we really had to paint a picture in people’s minds about what we could do. We started with smaller venues, and built up an audience over the past few years to get to where we’re at now!
Baby Cocada: Of course. Initially we were aiming for a niche, unprecedented party in a city that, just like you say, is still finding its way in making space for Latin genres. The venues and promoters were sceptical at the beginning, but now we get the requests. It has changed a lot and it is very satisfying to be able to be part of what is fuelling that change for our Latin community in London.
Baby Cocada: Of course. Initially we were aiming for a niche, unprecedented party in a city that, just like you say, is still finding its way in making space for Latin genres. The venues and promoters were sceptical at the beginning, but now we get the requests. It has changed a lot and it is very satisfying to be able to be part of what is fuelling that change for our Latin community in London.
You are experts in enlivening any room you walk into as residents and hosts of the party. What are the sounds that characterise Suzio?
Baby Cocada: We somehow graciously seem to combine genres you would not expect in the same room. Ranging from reggaeton classics and commercial hits, navigating through dembow, throwing club and culture classics in the mix, tapping into some guaracha and funk, and cherrying the cake with some casual techno. It feels urban, intimate, progressive, non-stop dancing.
TNSXORDS: For me, the common thread is how the music feels in the body and across the space — corporal, sensual, moving through your senses. Each of us brings a different shade to that experience, but there’s a unity in our approach that ties it all together. I think people really pick up on that, and it allows them to be more open to something they might not be as familiar with.
Architect: Dark, sexy music.
TNSXORDS: For me, the common thread is how the music feels in the body and across the space — corporal, sensual, moving through your senses. Each of us brings a different shade to that experience, but there’s a unity in our approach that ties it all together. I think people really pick up on that, and it allows them to be more open to something they might not be as familiar with.
Architect: Dark, sexy music.
As we know, all of you are multifaceted creatives with rich and diverse skillsets that allow you to do anything you put your minds to. What do your individual careers and aspirations outside of Suzio look like?
Baby Cocada: I need to get my shit together. But I have music coming out before December, because people is forgetting I make music.
Manuka Honey: I’ve been touring pretty intensely all year and it’s been the most amazing, yet exhausting experience. I love DJing with my whole heart, and I feel so blessed that I’ve gotten to play everywhere from Tokyo to Adelaide in 2024. I’ve got a new record coming out next year which I’m excited to share with you all, as well as some music on this side of the year too!
TNSXORDS: Lately, I’ve been mostly writing and producing music. With the first TNSXORDS mixtape dropping in October and joining Suzio in London, it’s truly the start of a new chapter for me. I’m enjoying the energy here and connecting with so many inspiring creatives — I’ve felt an incredible sense of care and enthusiasm from the start. And while I’ve always loved writing for film or fashion, which I see continuing as I settle into the city, my focus now is on building my discography and growing TNSXORDS through the right collaborations.
Architect: I’ve been DJing and running parties in the UK for over 10 years with different friends and collectives. I’ve also been making music a similar amount of time. I’m working on new original music and I’m due to drop my 5th instalment of my remix edit series Architect on the Drums when I can get my shit together. I’ve worked full time with several day jobs in the music industry for most of that time, so not always easy to find the time.
Manuka Honey: I’ve been touring pretty intensely all year and it’s been the most amazing, yet exhausting experience. I love DJing with my whole heart, and I feel so blessed that I’ve gotten to play everywhere from Tokyo to Adelaide in 2024. I’ve got a new record coming out next year which I’m excited to share with you all, as well as some music on this side of the year too!
TNSXORDS: Lately, I’ve been mostly writing and producing music. With the first TNSXORDS mixtape dropping in October and joining Suzio in London, it’s truly the start of a new chapter for me. I’m enjoying the energy here and connecting with so many inspiring creatives — I’ve felt an incredible sense of care and enthusiasm from the start. And while I’ve always loved writing for film or fashion, which I see continuing as I settle into the city, my focus now is on building my discography and growing TNSXORDS through the right collaborations.
Architect: I’ve been DJing and running parties in the UK for over 10 years with different friends and collectives. I’ve also been making music a similar amount of time. I’m working on new original music and I’m due to drop my 5th instalment of my remix edit series Architect on the Drums when I can get my shit together. I’ve worked full time with several day jobs in the music industry for most of that time, so not always easy to find the time.
Manuka Honey & Baby Cocada are wearing ISABELLA CALZONETTI.
The first Suzio was held in 2022 at The Grace. It then moved between The Standard and the Pickle Factory before finally settling at The Colour Factory with three parties being held there so far. What has made you want to establish Suzio mostly in that venue?
Manuka Honey: Colour Factory really believe in our vision and understand what we’re trying to achieve in terms of vibe and audience. Working with them is a dream! We might do parties in different spaces at times, but Colour Factory always feels like home.
How do you create a safe and inclusive space where diversity prevails?
Baby Cocada: It was initially a matter of policies, choice of venues, choice of lineup, now the power is also held by the crowd, we are very proud to have transferred this successfully.
Manuka Honey: At first before our reputation was fully established, we were quite literal about our safer spaces policy and would post it online. Now we post it before shows as a reminder, but people get the vibe on the whole.
Architect: We’re lucky to work with Colour Factory because they actually take these policies seriously. In my experience, I think the security do a good job as a result. However, there’s an element of having to police things ourselves a bit. We always want to make sure the audience Suzio is speaking to are able to feel totally free at our events.
Manuka Honey: At first before our reputation was fully established, we were quite literal about our safer spaces policy and would post it online. Now we post it before shows as a reminder, but people get the vibe on the whole.
Architect: We’re lucky to work with Colour Factory because they actually take these policies seriously. In my experience, I think the security do a good job as a result. However, there’s an element of having to police things ourselves a bit. We always want to make sure the audience Suzio is speaking to are able to feel totally free at our events.
In the Suzio hall of fame we can find the likes of Isabella Lovestory, Toccororo, DJ Florentino, Vickilicious, Virgen María and Safety Trance amongst a long list of other groundbreaking and innovative artists. What is the common thread between all of these names? How do you choose the artists that will become part of the Suzio universe?
Baby Cocada: We are their fans too, we love our lineups.
Manuka Honey: There are so many factors when it comes to curating, but ultimately if someone is an icon, we will do our best to book them.
TNSXORDS: Starting as fans or even friends is a big one — we want to create with people we genuinely like and who inspire us. Everything we do is collaborative in nature. But we also stay very curious and keep our ear to the ground. The two forces go hand in hand.
Architect: A lot of the people who have played Suzio have been pushing their sound for years and now the broader scene has some momentum, it’s about making sure they get their dues.
Manuka Honey: There are so many factors when it comes to curating, but ultimately if someone is an icon, we will do our best to book them.
TNSXORDS: Starting as fans or even friends is a big one — we want to create with people we genuinely like and who inspire us. Everything we do is collaborative in nature. But we also stay very curious and keep our ear to the ground. The two forces go hand in hand.
Architect: A lot of the people who have played Suzio have been pushing their sound for years and now the broader scene has some momentum, it’s about making sure they get their dues.
Suzio is in constant evolution, and we already have an upcoming date in November with Villano Antillano making her UK debut. What can you tell us about this new season?
Baby Cocada: It is most definitely a new chapter unveiling. New cities, new collaborations, new channels. We are looking at expanding the feel for the Suzio audience experience.
Manuka Honey: Villano [Antillano] feels like a turning point for us for sure. Her presence and desire to play at Suzio shows how the levels are going up up up.
TNSXORDS: November’s party is going to be special! We have some exciting highlights lined up that I think people will love to be a part of. The common thread in everything we’re planning is the desire to push Suzio into new territories and explore spaces we haven’t before. We want to grow together with the people who make our parties what they are.
Manuka Honey: Villano [Antillano] feels like a turning point for us for sure. Her presence and desire to play at Suzio shows how the levels are going up up up.
TNSXORDS: November’s party is going to be special! We have some exciting highlights lined up that I think people will love to be a part of. The common thread in everything we’re planning is the desire to push Suzio into new territories and explore spaces we haven’t before. We want to grow together with the people who make our parties what they are.
Where do you envision and where would you like for Suzio to go in the future?
Baby Cocada: Literally, the future.
Manuka Honey: Festival stages, different cities and countries, curating our own festivals, making merch, the list goes on. Watch this space.
Manuka Honey: Festival stages, different cities and countries, curating our own festivals, making merch, the list goes on. Watch this space.
