# Kantrum

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kantrum
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Kantrum.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantrum
> Source revision: 1352436351
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Kantrum** (Khmer: *កន្ត្រឹម*, Thai: กันตรึม) is a type of [folk music](/source/Folk_music) played by the [Khmer](/source/Khmer_Surin)[1] in [Isan](/source/Isan), [Thailand](/source/Thailand), living near the border with [Cambodia](/source/Cambodia).[2] It is a fast, traditional [dance music](/source/Dance_music). In its purest form, [cho-kantrum](/source/Cho-kantrum), singers, percussion and [fiddles](/source/Fiddle) dominate the sound. A more modern form using electric instrumentation arose in the mid-1980s.

## Language

Kantrum is interesting from a linguistic perspective. As the [Khmer](/source/Khmer_people) native to [Thailand](/source/Thailand) are bilingual, kantrum songs can be sung in [Thai](/source/Thai_language) ([Isan dialect](/source/Isan_language)), [Northern Khmer](/source/Northern_Khmer_dialect) or a combination of the two. In the case of the latter, it is most common that a complete verse will be sung in [Thai](/source/Thai_language) followed by a reciprocating verse in [Khmer](/source/Khmer_language). However, [code switching](/source/Code-switching) between the two languages within the same verse also occurs, lending to a wide variety of possibilities for rhyming and tonal euphony.

## Performers

In the late-1980s, [Darkie](/source/Darkie_(musician)) became the genre's biggest star, crossing into mainstream markets in the later 1990s. In the mid-2010s, Darkie found popularity online, particularly among Westerners, for his rendition of the [Sinn Sisamouth](/source/Sinn_Sisamouth) song "[Sat Tituy](/source/List_of_songs_recorded_by_Sinn_Sisamouth)". Another artist known for Kantrum is [Chalermpol Malakham](/source/Chalermpol_Malakham), although he is also a popular performer of the [Luk Thung](/source/Luk_Thung) and [Morlam](/source/Morlam) styles of music.

## References

1. Chaiyason, Noppon & Karin, Khomkrich (2024-06-27). ["กันตรึม : บทเพลงพื้นบ้านของชาวเขมรถิ่นไทย"](https://so04.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/mmj/article/view/270509) (in Thai). *Mahidol Music Journal*. **7** (1): 1–14. [ISSN 2774-132X](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/2774-132X)

1. Ridout, Lucy (2009-11-16). [*The Rough Guide to Thailand*](https://books.google.com/books?id=txd8PuofMS8C&newbks=0&printsec=frontcover&pg=PT1660&dq=%22Kantrum%22+-wikipedia&hl=en&source=newbks_fb#v=onepage&q=%22Kantrum%22%20-wikipedia&f=false). Penguin. ISBN 978-1-4053-8157-4.

## See also

- [Chrieng Brunh](/source/Chrieng_Brunh)
- [Luk Thung](/source/Luk_Thung)
- [Morlam](/source/Morlam)
- [Music of Thailand](/source/Music_of_Thailand)
- [Music of Cambodia](/source/Music_of_Cambodia)
- [Khmer Surin](/source/Northern_Khmer_dialect)

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kantrum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantrum) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kantrum?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.