Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973[1]) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer.
Using Classical South Indian music as a base, Sivan created compositions popularised by M. K. Thyagaraja Bhagavathar, D. K. Pattammal, and M. S. Subbulakshmi.
His mother Yogambal, along with her sons, left Thanjavur and moved to Travancore (now Thiruvananthapuram) in 1899 to seek the aid of his uncle.
In Thiruvananthapuram, he learned Malayalam and later joined the Maharaja Sanskrit college and obtained a degree in grammar.
He was a regular performer in the main temple festivals in South India with his devotional songs.
[4] Papanasam Sivan had an elder brother P. Rajagopal Iyer, whose daughter, V. N. Janaki, was an actress who would later serve as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu during 7-30 January 1988.