In its purest form, cho-kantrum, singers, percussion and fiddles dominate the sound.
However, code switching between the two languages within the same verse also occurs, lending to a wide variety of possibilities for rhyming and tonal euphony.
In the late-1980s, Darkie 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 song Sat Tee Touy.
Another artist known for Kantrum is Chalermpol Malakham, although he is also a popular performer of the Luk Thung and Morlam styles of music.